Page 15 - Beef_Week

Stock Journal Beef Week | 2021
Here’s what beef producers

should tell the community

By SHAN GOODWIN

ACONIC as their
reputation may be,
Lcattle producers need
to be speaking up now
more than ever.
There are some
conversations they need
to be elbowing their way
into, some messages they
need to be shouting from
the rooftops and some
facts they should know
by heart.
Because among the
many things resilience
means for the beef
industry, it’s also about
not being vulnerable to
criticism.
This idea surfaced
in discussion around
community trust at a
recent industry webinar,
hosted by Meat &
Livestock Australia.
Collaborative
agricultural industry
research is saying that
building trust isn’t just
about giving consumers
more science, more
research or more
information. What it means and how to earn community trust.
It’s about demonstrating
that you share their
values when it comes to important to deal in facts, story of how red meat On nutrition: Lean
topics they care about the webinar heard. is taking the lead, the meat is protein-rich,
most - in the case of the “Through all the commitments that have includes iodine, iron, zinc
beef industry that is safe research MLA has invested been made, such as CN30 and other minerals and
food, quality nutrition, in, we now have a clear (carbon neutrality by vitamins. The average
outstanding animal and accurate picture 2030), the 56pc reduction per capita consumption
care and environmental of what the community in carbon footprint since is actually less than the
stewardship. actually thinks and what is the Paris baseline year recommended dietary
MLA’s general manager driving their behaviour,” of 2005, the net increase guidelines of 65 grams a
of communications Lucy Ms Broad said. in tree cover and 62.5pc day. Research is confi rming
Broad said the industry “We are sharing of cattle producing land the recommended
could not afford to be those insights across now being managed for consumption - if we were
silent on these issues. the industry so we can improved environmental even meeting it - is within
“Whatever we want to respond to the right outcomes. planetary boundaries for
call it - social licence to things, and be smarter in On animal resource use.
operate, community trust how we respond. welfare: Australia’s On alternative
in what we do - it’s front of “We need clear, simple, beef industry is aspiring proteins: If something is
mind,” she said. unifi ed messages and to be world standard labelled meat, it must be
“The conversation a diversity of voices, and increasingly using meat. There is room for all
is happening and we including, alongside objective measures of because global demand
absolutely need to be a producers, voices animal wellbeing so it for protein is growing. The
part of it and on the front outside the industry. We can benchmark and debate shouldn’t be about
foot.” also need to be in non- continually improve. denigrating each other’s
traditional channels of As much as 21pc of the product. However, if
Social buy-in communication.” herd is now treated with competitors are selectively
While there is the pain relief for routine using information to
recognition many of the What to say husbandry practices, an damage the reputation of
‘social buy-in’ issues are On environmental increase of 15pc on last red meat, then we won’t
driven by emotion, it is sustainability: Tell the year. sit by.
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