Samantha Jamieson gave a very interesting talk at the MLA PD Week on Community Perceptions of the Australian Red Meat Industry. She started by stating some facts about the Australian population:
- 24% are born overseas
- 64% have never been on a farm
- 73% have little knowledge of farming
Samantha also spoke about how recent surveys done by MLA have found that 29% of Australians have decreased their red meat consumption over the last year. While the main reason behind this was the global financial crisis other factors such as health and the effects of beef production on climate change were also dominant. People are also taking more of an interest in the animal ethics and welfare issues associated with meat production. These consumer concerns emphasise that we need to be creating a better image of our production processes and the impact they are having on the environment. Samantha mentioned the range of the things that MLA has been doing to directly address these concerns.
One of these includes the development of a website called ‘'Red Meat Green Facts'. This website explains red meat production, and its effect on the environment, in simple terms that consumers can understand. Tell your city friends and relatives about this website so they can have a look and pass it onto their friends, this information will help them make an educated decision about their beef consumption in the future and may help ensure they aren’t fooled by the shock campaigns of groups like PETA.