What are the best practices for lobbying for favorable agribusiness policy changes?

Also the most overlooked factor: regional differences and nuances within specific industries. If you understand where they are from/their background then you have a better chance of honing your message and being heard and understood. For example, if they have a feedlotting or dairy farm background they will have no natural understanding of the challenges on large cattle stations/ranches. You need to understand the differences thoroughly yourself, in order for you to convey them to the policymaker.

Agribusiness policy change is important for most African countries. e.g. In the Production of cooking oil farmers should know how to add value to their produce. Cooking oil made from sunflowers seeds. They should be empowered to semi-process the sunflower seed for more profit. Such a policy triggers other policy changesregarding ISO standards of the Semi Processed Oil. That is job creation. Cooking oil processors might also think of contract farming. Others will think of packaging. Water harvesting mitigate drought There is need to build dams and weirs along river channels. This should be an agribusiness policy drive of a progressive government. Small hydro power station. Fishing Lodges Increase of GDP a Better living standards.

"Lobbying" per se is the practice of persuading public officials, often in secret, and often with the offer of money. America's founders thought it abhorrent. Even worse was having some well-dressed lawyer, ex-judge, or former member of government lobby on your behalf. That was considered a form of fraud. In contrast, they favored petitioning government, a public process where citizens made requests of Congress in an open meeting. So take your cues from that. Lobby for changes that you're not ashamed of. While you might talk to government officials privately, make the same requests and arguments in public, such as in the press. Design them to benefit society.

Be careful what you bargain or advocate for because there are unintended consequences. For example, the National Cotton Council (NCC), one of the most competent agricultural lobbying groups in Washington, developed and advocated for a new income subsidization scheme for U.S. cotton growers in 2014, known as STAX. Most cotton farmers want income insurance most of the time, but STAX was complex although heavily subsidized by the USDA. The complexity discouraged farmers from obtaining the coverage even though the cost was only 20% of the premium. The NCC spend a lot on persuading both farmers and legislators to adopt STAX only to see a very low adhesion rate among farmers once the program was implemented. Be careful, play simple.

Never come with just a problem - come with a problem and a solution. The solution must be clear and feasible from a financial, time and political point of view. You have to sell it to them, so they can sell it to colleagues and make it happen.

Lobbying requires persuading legislators to adopt difficult positions; engage the other side, those identified as opponents, to identify points of overlapping preferences that can build bridges between legislators and make it easy to organize a majority.

Always be mindful of self interest. Your own self interest, which can blind you re whether it is reasonable or not; and the self interest of the person you're trying to persuade. What do they need? When it's politicians, they need to keep voters happy or their work doing good via government will come to an end.