DFO’s advocacy strategy

DFO REBOOTS GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY STRATEGY

Organization aims to help build credibility and influence with government

By Constantin Urtilescu CONTRIBUTOR

The last year has been key to advancing advocacy efforts at Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO). With a legacy spanning more than five decades, and as the largest agricultural sector in Ontario, DFO is more focused than ever on raising the voice of Ontario’s 3,400+ dairy farmers with credibility and influence. A fundamental piece of this is creating a system to leverage our legacy and the relationships dairy farmers have with local elected officials and media.

New agency partners Wellington Advocacy and Argyle Strategic Communications were onboarded in May and have been focused on building programs and assets for our dairy producer committees (DPCs) that support their work at the grassroots level, building on existing relationships across the province and ensuring they are well-equipped for advocacy opportunities and both formal and informal advocacy interactions when they arise.

“The most important aspect of the work ahead for government relations and strategic communications teams is to make DFO and what we stand for better known to government and industry,” says Heather MacGregor, DFO’s director of communications. “We want to use these efforts to inform policy makers on the potential effects of their actions, convince government and stakeholders to take actions that support our industry and provide broader support to government on issues affecting our industry. The foundational work we have started in 2021 will be the key to success in 2022 and beyond.”

In October, following an active federal election campaign, letters of congratulations were sent to all elected members of Parliament to introduce the official to the DPC chair and vice-chair in his or her riding. Uptake on offers to meet with DPCs was significant, and many committees are now in the process of re-acquainting themselves with their local MP or meeting them for the first time.

A new advocacy toolkit will be launched at a virtual advocacy workshop for DPCs in December and select committee members received experiential media training in November and early December to establish best practices and learn effective rules of engagement with media.

The goal of government relations at DFO is to support the organization’s strategic plan and business goals. The team aims to do this by informing, persuading and supporting government and industry stakeholders on policies and initiatives that will impact Ontario dairy producers.

“Our dairy farmers are passionate advocates in their own communities and they understand the issues affecting the dairy industry,” MacGregor says. “Our government relations team wants to work more closely with them so they’re prepared for those local discussions and able to build credibility and influence at the grassroots level.”

Looking ahead, DPCs engaged in government relations will find regular updates on a new area of the DPC portal (coming soon). Additional support will be available for arranging regular touchpoints with elected officials and sharing lobby materials. Also, with a provincial election expected in spring 2022, DFO will be developing a strategy to equip the grassroots as politicians hit the campaign trail.

“The future of advocacy at DFO is robust, with the grassroots playing a vital role,” MacGregor says.

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Constantin Urtilescu