b"A NEW TOOL HELPING YOU IN THE REALM OF RETAIL SEED SALES.HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LOBBYISTThe 2019 federal election is nearly upon us. Learn how to properly advocate for your industry.Marc ZienkiewiczWhy is it so necessary to advocate for ourare growing more crops on less land than industry? ever before, using less water and inputs per Traditional media has been fractured.acre than ever before. Modern agriculture Old models of delivering and consumingis part of the solution on sustainability and news have been turned upside down. Theaddressing climate change. Electoral candi-Dennis Prouse new model is niche, customized, onlinedates need to know this.Vice-President, Governmentnews, delivered 24/7 in rapid fire. Fake Affairs news stories are rampant with little to noFurthermore, Canada cannot meet its goal CropLife Canada fact checking. Activist groups deliver theirof $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025 Ottawa, Ont. messages (and data mine) cheaply andwithout regulatory modernization. A lack Dennis has 30 years ofefficiently via social media. Many electoralof predictable regulatory decisions from experience in governmentcandidates will have little direct knowledgethe Pest Management Regulatory Agency relations and public affairs. Heof agricultures positive impact on the lives(PMRA), and a growing lack of alignment spent five years working onof Canadians, so they need us to give themwith our key global competitors, threatens Parliament Hill, including threegood information. the competitiveness of Canadian agricul-years in the Prime Ministersture. Office. Dennis served on the Board of Directors of theJOBS ARE PROBABLY CREATED INHow does one grab a candidate's attention?Government Relations InstituteThere are many ways to do it. Check of Canada for six years. He hasTHEIR RIDING BY AGRICULTURE/AGRI- their social media pageyou can find also been recognized on The Hilltheir schedule and/or send a message. Times annual list of the Top 100FOOD. USE YOUR OWN ORGANIZATIONIntroduce yourself at a public event Lobbyists in Ottawa. (Kiwanis breakfast, Lions Club parade, AS AN EXAMPLE. BONUS POINTS IFetc.) Attend a fundraising event. All-YOU HAVE A BROCHURE/HANDOUTcandidates meetings are great venues as FOR THEM! well.Whats the best way to approach them? Dennis Prouse Simply treat it as an education effort the first time out. Talk to them about the Why is advocacy important for people in seedbenefits of modern agriculture. Jobs are and the retail sphere? probably created in their riding by agricul-Pesticides and plant biotechnology helpture/agri-food. Use your own organization increase both the quality and quantity ofas an example. Bonus points if you have the food farmers grow by protecting cropsa brochure/handout for them! After that, from insects, weeds and diseases. They alsofind out their impressions of our industry. help farmers do their jobs more sustainably,What are their colleagues saying about not only by decreasing their environmentalagriculture? What are the voters saying footprint but also by helping to improveabout agriculture/agri-food?the quality of the land they use. Today we 28GERMINATION.CA SEPTEMBER 2019"