MLA launches animated series about red meat and the environment
Meat & Livestock Austalia (MLA) has launched a new animated series addressing the environmental impact of meat production, with the first video diving into how methane from cattle impacts carbon levels in the atmosphere.
The first of five animations to be released during the back end of 2021 is a two-minute clip that seeks to differentiate how and why methane from cattle is different in its environmental impact when compared with carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.
The animations are part of MLA’s broader Australian Good Meat branded digital platform, created for consumers who are keen to learn more about how red meat is produced in Australia.
MLA told Mumbrella that the script was developed in consultation with emission experts, while boutique video animation specialist company called Balderdash Films was engaged to bring the animations to life.
MLA managing director, Jason Strong, said that the series of animations aim both to increase transparency within the industry and also work to address misconceptions or misinformation about the environmental impact of red meat production.
“Comparing different greenhouse gasses is a very complex topic, but it’s vitally important for people to understand the systems that we live within, the impacts, and most importantly, what we’re doing about it.
“We’ve created these animations to reduce some of the confusion through content that is easy to understand, which we hope will enable people to make informed decisions about what they eat and why.”
The first video states that methane, unlikely fossil fuels, “breaks down over around 12 years and is eventually re-absorbed into the natural methane cycle”. Whereas carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels takes around 1,000 years to break down.
Strong said: “The red meat industry must continue to be on the front-foot in sharing the good story about our farming systems, the nutritional benefits of red meat, our animal wellbeing and environmental stewardship credentials, and our drive for intergenerational sustainability and productivity improvement in a competitive global marketplace.
“While the community want something done on climate change, they also want to continue to enjoy red meat as part of a healthy diet and it’s our job to provide the evidence that says it’s absolutely ok to keep doing that.”
The MLA’s Australian Good Meat platform includes a dedicated website and social channels, and MLA will promote the platform and its animations through the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEFA) to encourage school teachers to utilise these and other MLA resources in classrooms across Australia.
Strong added: “In 2017, the red meat and livestock industry set the ambitious target to be Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) which provides a framework to guide investment in technologies and research that will foster productivity and grow profitability throughout the red meat supply chain.”
“Agriculture has already done much of the heavy lifting on limiting carbon pollution with net greenhouse gas emissions from red meat production less than half what they were in 2005, representing by far the greatest reduction by any sector of Australia’s economy.”
The Australian Good Meat platform has been built up with new content recently including new producer videos and infographic ‘Red Meat Green Facts’, and MLA told Mumbrella it is working with One Green Beat on a refresh of the site in the coming months.
The series comes after MLA released its ‘Feed Your Greatness’ beef campaign to coincide with the Olympics, featuring Aussie world champion javelin thrower, Kelsey-Lee Barber.
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Zanda Wilson was a reporter and podcast producer at Mumbrella, specialising in radio reporting. He left Mumbrella in September 2021.
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