Anti-meat activists continue to press forward an agenda designed to reduce both meat consumption and production. Their strategies vary, but the goal is clear: Advance Veganism. One strategy is to force increased costs of production, another to guilt consumers away from meat. Their mechanisms vary from social media campaigns to heavy lobbying and advancing legislation. They wave the flags of animal welfare, climate policy, and health. All while seeking ultimately to reduce consumer choices for meat.
Is it working? Yes and no. Let me offer a few examples.
In 2018 Californians voted 63% in favor of the “Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act” (also known as Prop 12). This law requires that all fresh and frozen pork cuts sold in California (excepting processed pork) be produced in accordance with California standards requiring minimum space requirements (24 square feet) for breeding pigs, Per a USDA report earlier this year, the retail cost of pork in California increased 20-40% when compared to price moves in the other 49 states, upon full implementation of Prop 12.
Prop 12 was a big victory for anti-meat activists. It was even upheld on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Other states will likely follow. It created supply shortages, added production costs and led to Californians spending an additional estimated $300 million on pork each year. However, were consumers told that the welfare claims remain in question (is group housing more humane?), and that pork prices would soar 20-40% upon full implementation, many may have voted differently. The result is less California pork consumption at much higher prices.
So how about an example of activist failure? How about the epic flame-out of plant-based protein. After billions were invested in hundreds of startup companies, few remain. Beyond Meat’s stock price peaked in $234/share in 2019; it stands at $7/share today. McDonalds recently pulled their plant based burger after combined sales fell to 20 burgers per day across 600 locations. Americans love meat. And that is also evidenced by retail meat prices up 30-40% from the pre-COVID four year average.
So how should one navigate the heavy social and legal pressure imposed by activist groups?
Whether it be animal activists, climate activists, or self-proclaimed health activists, the pressure is real and the drumbeat is rising. I offer some thoughts.
- First, the key aspect of sustainability will always be profitability. Do what you get paid to do. Organic milk may appear silly as the much higher costs far outweigh little if any scientific benefit. But if consumers with money can boost your profits, take their money. And inversely, practices that add to your bottom line must be carefully scrutinized.
- Be cautious about resigning your operation to proposed policies. Fights are being fought. Note that Tyson recently scaled back their antibiotic-free beef offerings after a similar move by them and others in poultry in recent years. There was a mountain of “smart money” that bet wrong on plant-based protein. These debates are not yet over and some concessions are being won.
- As a global food industry we must seek to preserve consumer choice and fight legislation that reduces choice, reduces productivity, and increases costs. Productivity is the greatest agriculture story of the past 200 years. It has changed the world for both consumers and producers. Abandoning productivity can be done in niche markets (ie: organic milk, meat, etc), but should never be legislated. Nearly a billion of our common global population remains food insecure today; productivity is needed globally.
~Brett Stuart