A Scottish agricultural communicator has been selected to head up an international committee setting out goals for the future of agricultural journalism.

Jane Craigie will lead the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) “Vision 2025” committee which will be responsible for developing a strategic vision and action plan for the organisation which is made up of journalists from 50 countries.

Craigie runs a marketing and communications business based in rural Scotland and is actively involved in the international rural leadership community, running events that bring rural and farming leaders together for learning and inspiration.

She is a director, and previous chairman, of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists and is co-founder of the Rural Youth Project.

IFAJ

The IFAJ is a global organisation representing agricultural journalists and communicators. The organisation is centred on underpinning the professionalism in communicating about farming, the land and food production across all channels. IFAJ upholds and supports journalists in ensuring freedom of the press.

The Vision 2025 plan will be presented in July at the 2019 IFAJ congress in Minnesota, USA.

“The vision committee takes the pulse of IFAJ and helps guide where it’s headed,” said Owen Roberts, IFAJ president.

“It creates a roadmap outlining how, in a practical fashion, to move IFAJ forward. We’ve revisited the plan, checked in to see where we’re at and how much we have accomplished, and now it’s time to reset our sights on what is important to IFAJ as we look toward to 2025.”

Jane Craigie said: “It is a real privilege to be appointed by the IFAJ Executive Committee to chair its ‘Vision 2025’ committee and it shows the high regard with which the British Guild is held within the IFAJ network.

“My committee is made up of Pulack Ghatack (Bangladesh), Kurt Lawton (USA), Jefferson Massah (Liberia) and Jacqueline Wijbenga (The Netherlands), who are all superb ambassadors for agricultural journalism, communications and for the IFAJ.”