Impact through red meat positioning to build community trust

Listen to the recording here:

In this webinar, hear of the key activities MLA is undertaking in partnership with industry to share the positive, real story about Australian red meat and how the industry is tackling myths on topics such as the environment, animal welfare, nutrition and plant-based fake meats.

Read the Q&As from the panel session:

Questions that were answered live during the webinar (please refer to recording above to hear the answers)

What is MLA doing to inform dietary guidelines review?
How do you ensure that most internet searches end up with you (us!) high up?
Are we seeing enough communication about CN30? On the back of COP26, it would be very relevant.
What about the future? Where to from here?

Questions taken on notice and answered following the webinar

Why is foodservice not included in our communication channels?

Communication to foodservice is an important component of MLA’s marketing and communications program. MLA’s foodservice activity is designed to educate and inspire confidence in red meat foodservice operators to keep red meat on the menu through two key programs:
- Rare Medium – our key foodservice communications program
  - raremediummag.com – a quarterly e-magazine and social and digital media program targeting the foodservice community with educational and inspirational red meat content via foodservice influencers to raise the profile of our proteins from paddock to plate
  - raremediumacademy.com – educational workshops and masterclasses targeting large-scale foodservice operators to demonstrate successful application of our proteins in a variety of outlet types
- Foodservice NPD & Innovation – driving scale across commercial foodservice operators
  - directly engaging large scale foodservice operators with red meat business solutions and new product development
  - driving red meat consumption through the addition of NPD items to menu.
In regards to CN30, does MLA consider it a reputational risk to set a goal that many in industry doubt is achievable? Is MLA setting industry on a path to failure

As a result of increased industry and government co-investment in this area over the last four years, industry is confident it can achieve its aspirational target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Importantly, carbon neutrality should not and does not need to come at the cost of livestock numbers in Australia.

The target was set in response to drivers that include maintaining community support, market access, access to capital, reduced need for regulation, and to ensure industry can continue to produce a high-quality product in the face of changing climatic conditions.

Embarking on this target sets our industry apart from others as one that is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to achieve a net zero greenhouse gas position. The target will increase the reputation of our industry as demonstrating exemplary corporate social responsibility and the fact we have been global leaders in setting this target will stand us in good stead to double the value of red meat sales as the trusted source of the highest quality protein.

The Australian red meat industry’s global competitors, including Brazil and New Zealand, are also working towards carbon neutral red meat production. Meanwhile, some parts of the world are calling for a tax on red meat.

The CN30 initiative ensures industry is in the driver’s seat and is recognised for leading the world in reducing emissions from food production. In addition, efforts to avoid GHG emissions and improve carbon storage are important steps for industry to make towards reducing exposure to future risks, such as the impact of fluctuating availability and cost of fossil fuels on business operations, and the effect of hotter and drier conditions on soil moisture availability and surface water storage. Failure to manage risks such as these will impact business viability in the future.
What is the biggest threat to our livestock industry that we need to focus on from a strategic positioning perspective – is it environment, welfare, human health? What’s more important than the rest?

MLA’s community sentiment research indicates that the top four reasons for people to reduce their red meat consumption are (in order) concerns around expense, health, environment and animal welfare.
However, over the past couple of years, we’ve seen an increasing percentage concerned around the industry’s environmental and animal welfare credentials, whereas concern over the expense and health have stabilised.

Hence, MLA’s focus in the community communications program is mainly around environment management and animal welfare (utilising producers to help share their stories), with the Domestic Marketing team taking the lead on the promotion and marketing of the health attributes of Australian red meat, which we also leverage and share with those community members who have concerns around the health and nutrition of consuming red meat.

Understanding and addressing community concerns remains a focus for MLA, ensuring the red meat and livestock industry is on the front foot in sharing positive stories about our progress to date.
How can our diet be healthy and we are still one of the biggest red meat eaters on the planet? Does it mean everyone else is eating too little?

National dietary guidelines are based on local eating patterns and food supply. Hence, consumption of protein and consequently, dietary recommendations will differ accordingly. For instance, in many countries around the world, more pork and chicken are consumed compared to red meat.

In Australia, 65g per day of lean, cooked red meat such as beef and lamb is recommended in a healthy diet because it is popular, versatile, widely available for purchase and an important source of protein, iron, zinc, omega-3 and vitamin B12 in the Australian diet. Australian red meat per capita consumption (57g per day) is in line with amounts recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines (65g per day) and because ‘meat and veg’ is a popular meal, red meat consumption in Australia contributes not only essential nutrients but also consumption of vegetables recommended in a healthy diet.