Canadian Biogas Association

Agricultural biogas awareness initiative

Situation:
An aim of the Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) is to accelerate the adoption of anaerobic digestion technology using manure and organic waste to produce biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) on farm. CBA engaged Synthesis in an awareness campaign to help farmers better understand the biogas/RNG sector and to explore the opportunities it offers farm businesses.

Action:
A critical first step was assessing the current state of on-farm knowledge about biogas through stakeholder interviews. Results of the gap assessment helped to define the target audience, messaging and communication tactics. This led to the creation of the Farming Biogas campaign with a purpose to educate and inform farmers about the economic and environmental benefits of biogas production for agricultural businesses.

Results:
Key tactics included the development of a microsite – FarmingBiogas.ca – as the go-to source for agricultural biogas information and connections in Canada. Resources including factsheets, Q&A, checklists and infographics were developed to specifically address the farm audience. The site also features a searchable list of equipment suppliers and technical advisors, which is an important resource for farmers seeking to move forward with a biogas project.

A media relations effort launched the microsite and a digital advertising campaign directly promoted it dairy farmers, the target audience. A Farming Biogas podcast series profiling current farm biogas producers was also created to inspire other farmers to get involved in the sector. Stakeholder engagement activities rounded out the initiative.

The Farming Biogas campaign continues to create a lot of buzz, garnering media attention and traffic to the microsite to explore and download resources.

“It’s great to see the ripple effect that this campaign is having. Our Directors have expressed that this campaign has surpassed their expectations. Kudos to the Synthesis team!”
~Jennifer Green, Executive Director, Canadian Biogas Association