Committed to Your Business

Over the past year, I’ve come to realize that CAAR’s greatest challenge is effectively communicating the value we bring to the agri-retail sector. Often, our greatest success comes in the form of mitigating a threat that agri-retailers weren’t aware of, and never felt the impact of because we succeeded in heading it off at the pass. It’s a difficult value proposition to sell.

In 2016, we witnessed first-hand how the agri-retail industry is under scrutiny. Consumers, regulators, politicians, activists and other self-interest groups — often without ties to agriculture — are looking at agriculture with an inexperienced and wary eye, questioning and seeking to influence our practices. Pressure to prove ourselves and our practices is falling to the farmers and their crop production partners — agri-retailers.

As the only national steward of the agri-retail industry, we are committed to defending its interests and building its strength. CAAR’s intervention in regulatory discussions resulted in key changes to published and drafted industry standards and codes of practice. These efforts ensured that negative impacts on agri-retailers never came to light. Our participation in national roundtables and steering committees is among the growing number of initiatives that will impact retailers and their grower customers. The organizations making these decisions need your input, and CAAR is here to deliver it on your behalf.

If you aren’t a CAAR member yet, please carefully consider how well your business can defend itself against outside threats of regulation and public scrutiny.

But for CAAR to continue protecting and empowering our industry, we need you.

Membership in CAAR is our lifeblood and feeds our ability to remain strong and responsive. The services we offer benefit every retailer in this industry and a growing number are recognizing the impact CAAR has. If you are a new or long-standing CAAR member, we thank you for your ongoing support. We remain committed to communicating effectively so our value to your business is clear and measurable.

If you aren’t a CAAR member yet, please carefully consider how well your business can defend itself against outside threats of regulation and public scrutiny. Even if your business has dedicated resources to participate in these discussions, CAAR is involved on a different level and has access to meetings and groups that individual businesses do not. Take part and be engaged, but as you do so, know that CAAR is there on your behalf, participating where you cannot.

Become a member today at caar.org. We will make it worth your investment.

Delaney Ross Burtnack
President & CEO