Beef producers are taking numerous measures to be more sustainable. The Beef Checkoff is using a combination of research and education to share producers' stories with consumers who are concerned about beef production practices.
DENVER, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today's consumers are very concerned with where their food comes from and how it's raised. According to a September 2022 white paper, "Today's Beef Consumer," produced by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, 21% of survey respondents had a negative perception of beef production practices. That's one reason why beef producers like John Ferry of Corinne, Utah are speaking up and telling consumers how they care for their land and their livestock.
"We graze our cattle on a 150,000-acre footprint," Ferry said. "Our cattle feed on phragmites, a locally invasive wetlands plant. The grazing in wetlands prevents helps manage the plant's population and prevents it from crowding out other beneficial plant life that is so critical to wetland wildlife. The cows are eating these plants which are inedible to humans and turning them into high-quality beef. Furthermore, the grazing strategy brings the phragmites spread under control without the use of expensive chemical sprays.
"We've also taken numerous measures to improve our water efficiency. We do everything we can to be sustainable – something people who buy all their food at the supermarket don't always have the opportunity to see. And I'm certainly not the only beef producer who takes these types of measures."
The Beef Checkoff is committed to providing education and correcting misinformation about beef and the environment while gaining consumers' confidence. The first step is investing in extensive, third-party research projects that seek out the truth about the beef industry's environmental impact.
"Through the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Sustainability Research Program, we can provide science-validated sustainability indicators that benchmark the industry's current status and provide a path forward toward continuous improvement," Ferry said. "With an innovative scientific approach, this program helps create a sustainable beef product for a growing world population while also building consumer confidence in beef."
Research and education are the building blocks of an overarching plan to build consumer trust. The Beef Checkoff's ultimate goal is to connect and engage with people before false or misguided information about beef production practices gets to them. Then, the Checkoff and its contractors can share what the facts that research has uncovered. Here are just a few examples of what the Checkoff and its contractors have been doing to educate and inform others about beef production.
- Developing educational units for middle and high schools: By connecting with young minds, the Checkoff can influence tomorrow's beef consumers today. Educational units focus specifically on greenhouses gasses and cattle, as well as general beef production and genetics.
- Hosting On The Farm STEM events: The Beef Checkoff funds annual educator immersion events designed to bring inner city teachers to real, working farms to learn about beef production. In 2022, the educators who participated in the tour shared their experiences with more than 70,000 urban students.
- Taking part in New York City Climate Week: Beef was front and center in September 2022 during Climate Week, the largest global climate event. Checkoff-funded Beef. It's What's For Dinner. hosted a webinar on beef being the ultimate climate-smart food and shared the truth behind emissions.
- Collaborating with the Beef Expert Network: The 22 influencers who make up the Checkoff's Beef Expert Network are all passionate about sharing beef's story and connecting with their audiences to address misinformation surrounding beef.
- Sharing information via digital campaigns: Checkoff-funded digital campaigns on Connect TV, YouTube, websites and social platforms encourage consumers to "rethink the ranch." Real beef producers share their beef stories and how they care for their cattle and land.
The Checkoff-funded Meat Demand Monitor surveys 2,000 people monthly on their meat preferences and views. According to the most recent survey, taste, freshness, price and safety remain consumers' most important considerations when purchasing proteins. Still, the climate-positive trend is a movement that beef producers like Ferry know very well, and there's a great deal of conflicting information about beef's impact.
"It's up to us to, first and foremost, do the right things to care for our land and our cattle," Ferry said. "Then, it's our responsibility to tell others about what we're doing."
Learn more about all the facts that Checkoff-funded research has uncovered about beef and the environment at beefresearch.org.
Media Contact
Lynette Von Minden, Swanson Russell, 1 402-437-6457, [email protected]
Sarah Metzler, Cattlemen's Beef Board, 303-220-9890, [email protected]
SOURCE Beef Checkoff
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