The National Farmers Union (NFU) has celebrated the success of the work carried out last week by RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance) in the face of high profile attention on antibiotics in response to both Global Antibiotics Awareness Week and EU Antibiotics Awareness Day (November 18).
“It was a busy week that tested RUMA’s new communication and membership structure,” said the NFU, whose action in joining with other industry organisations 19 years ago led to the original setting up of the Alliance.
“Over the years the RUMA membership has grown, and we‘ve been able to add our collective voice to the increasingly frequent global conversations to varying levels of success. However, RUMA’s role and ability to influence what is becoming an increasingly sophisticated global discussion was becoming hampered by a lack of resource.
“Consequently, the membership agreed to substantial changes in the ‘modus operandi’ of RUMA. A comprehensive five-year business plan was developed which included a communications strategy, and a commitment from all members, including the NFU, to promote RUMA as the ‘go to’ source of advice, commentary and facts.”
Highlighting the impact of this new approach, the NFU’s website includes a listing of seven key points of media and industry action undertaken by RUMA during the past week, as follows:
- Setting The Telegraph straight
- Challenging the Wellcome Trust’s appalling video
- RUMA’s new information website
- Providing factual context to Farmers Weekly
- Helping the BBC Countryfile Magazine get the right facts
- RUMA has joined the Twittersphere
- Analysis of the UK Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance Report
