A new report uncovers how the meat and dairy industry have used their power and influence to ‘distract, delay, and derail meaningful climate action worldwide’.
Following 18 months of investigations by journalists and experts around the world, a new report by the Changing Markets Foundation uncovers how the meat and dairy industries have used their power and influence to ‘distract, delay, and derail meaningful climate action worldwide’.
Even the most hardened carnivores would have a tough job arguing that meat and dairy are not damaging the environment. From the vast amounts of land and water required to rear and feed animals to methane emissions and ‘dead zones’ created by animal waste, the statistics on the impact of meat and dairy are eye-watering.
But whilst many people suspect that the meat and dairy industries have been working behind the scenes to give themselves some positive PR, this new report – titled ‘The New Merchants of Doubt’ – presents damning evidence about the lengths that have been taken to protect their interests and fight back against climate change legislation.
Here’s what the report found:
Targeting the younger generation
One area which the report looked at was how meat and dairy campaigns were designed to target Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) – a section of society which is typically more climate savvy and aware of the impact of their food choices.
The campaigns have focused on promoting meat and dairy as sustainable and healthier – despite levels of consumption being well above what WHO (the World Health Organisation) recommendations.
In the UK, The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has been criticised for their advertising campaign ‘Let’s Eat Balanced‘. This ran at the start of 2024 and was timed to coincide (and compete with) with Veganuary.
Favouring ‘quick fixes’ over investment in climate action
Instead of spending money on transitioning to plant-based farming or other climate solutions, the industries have focused on things like feed additives and biogas – although the investigation reveals they refuse to invest in them and have instead asked for government subsidies, funded by the taxpayer.
To clarify, the US and EU paid $44.3bn in subsidies to meat and dairy farmers between 2014 and 2020 (a fraction of the funds invested in alternative proteins). Large amounts of these funds are invested into marketing rather than developing solutions to climate change.
Using social media to spread misinformation
The report used social media analysis to conclude that the strategic use of misinformation was ramped up in the build-up to the recent ban on cultivated meat in Italy along with labelling restrictions for vegan and plant-based products.
Spikes in the spread of misinformation were evident during key moments – such as when the Italian government were hesitant about the ban. Top influencers were used in the campaign to spread false information – 80% of these influencers were from the US, the UK and Sweden.
Rejecting attempts to legislate
The National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NEC), Effort Sharing Regulation and Industrial Emissions Directive have worked together on legislation to combat emissions of pollutants – methane being a major concern.
The meat and dairy industries fought back with an argument that legislating agriculture would result in ‘double regulation’ because it was already being addressed in other areas. This resulted in agricultural methane not being included and the meat and dairy industries being the only ones to get a free pass.
The power and influence held by meat and dairy giants
In the report, details of 22 companies’ lobbying efforts show the vast amounts of money spent on lobbying and political donations, along with their frequent meetings with policymakers. This includes internal documents from the European Dairy Association which outline strategies to ensure methane targets continue to be excluded from green policies.
Putting a spin on ‘regenerative agriculture’
Another finding was that almost half the companies play up their use of ‘regenerative agriculture’ for the environment. However, these projects remain small-scale, and are a form of greenwashing for the consumer.
The New Merchants of Doubt is the largest investigation of its kind and spans four continents. It looked at 22 of the biggest meat and dairy companies around the world – which includes Danish Crown, Tyson Foods, JBS, Fonterra and Nestlé.
Original source: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com
