Ambassadors steer positive conversations around red meat

Drawing on a network of over 400 Red Meat Ambassadors, MLA is empowering people to share the story of Australian red meat through engaging in conversations about the industry, both in real life and online.

Shania Gough – who just graduated from her Agribusiness/Agricultural Science degree and has completed several internships with JBS, NH Foods and Nolan Meats – recently joined MLA’s Red Meat Ambassador program. Now, she’s feeling more empowered than ever to share the story of Australian beef and lamb.

What is your background and how did you first get involved in the red meat industry?

I haven’t come from a farming background. I entered the industry during high school by showing cattle, which I still get to enjoy today! I was really fortunate that my school had great ag science and agriculture-related programs, which is where I fell in love with the industry.

I decided to pursue it at university, and it stuck. I think it’s a pretty cool thought that we get to be part of making and creating beef that feeds the world.

What attracted you to attend MLA’s Red Meat Ambassador workshop and what were you hoping to get out of it?

I wanted to enhance my confidence in sharing the Australian red meat story. My goal is to have a positive impact on the industry and leave it better than how I entered it. Part of this is to attend these kinds of opportunities to improve my skillset.

I came into the workshop wanting to learn how to best communicate with those who might not fully understand what we do as an industry. I also wanted to learn how to address the harder-to-answer topics that we can be asked sometimes. I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of the industry, and I just want to share the story.

Do you feel more empowered to be able to tackle any questions that may come to you from those outside of the industry?

Absolutely! The workshop fostered a great collaborative environment with the diversity, knowledge and experiences of the other participants – it was great to hear each of their own stories.

We got to work through practical activities with each other, which really helped us practice how to address those trickier questions which may come our way without turning it into a debate. Being able to work through it in this way was helpful.

What have been some of your key takeaways?

I’m just so excited to tell everyone everything I know about the industry; I love talking about it. Through the workshop, I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back. When you're having conversations with people in different settings, taking time to understand the different perspectives and finding those common values is important.

By finding the middle ground, it will create a better position to address the conversations appropriately.

Have there been any strategies or ideas you think you might try and implement first?

I’m really excited to work on community engagement, starting from a local level. To start with I’m going to work on leveraging the social media platforms with friends and family as well as those I know within the industry to share the story of what we do.

Would you encourage others to attend the workshop? Why do you think workshops like this are so important?

I would absolutely encourage others to attend if they have the opportunity. I think the workshop is invaluable – it’s not just about personal development but also about being a part of a community.

Becoming ambassadors means we can communicate the good things our industry is doing in the right way.

If you’re interested in finding out more about becoming a Red Meat Ambassador or would like to express your interest in upcoming workshops, click here.