Thread by @Sentient_Media

A new @DeSmogBlog investigation found that #meat producers worldwide use the same tactics to downplay the climate impact of meat.

Here are 8 examples of the main narratives the industry promotes—and the arguments of experts objecting to its claims.👇 1/18
desmog.com/2021/07/18/inv…

Claim: ‘Grazing supports biodiversity’

Several meat companies, including Dutch meat producer @VION, suggest that the adoption of certain grazing practices can help “reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity.” 2/18
view.publitas.com/cfreport/vion-…

Criticism: According to @CenterForBioDiv, the ecological costs of grazing “exceed that of any other western land use.”

A @UAlberta 2020 study warned that scaling up livestock grazing threatens the biodiversity of herbivores and pollinators worldwide. 3/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Our meat is more environmentally friendly’

Industry group @LivestockVoice claims the European livestock sector produces “meat in an efficient and climate-friendly way,” outperforming all other world regions except Russia & Eastern Europe. 4/18

Criticism: Sustainability groups @GRAIN_org & @IATP regard the efficiency of intensive animal ag as “a myth” & point out that “efficiency” gains realized in the 20th century “will be hard to repeat without major ecological, social and health impacts.” 5/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Dietary change is an ineffective climate strategy’

Some meat players claim that #PlantBased diets won’t help save the planet. The US-based industry group @MeatInstitute claims that a meatless diet would only reduce US emissions by 2.6%. 6/18
meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=a…

Criticism: @MeatInstitute backed up this claim quoting a 2017 study that researchers from multiple fields have criticized for its “uncritical use of nutritional values and optimization algorithms, and a highly unrealistic and narrow scenario design.” 7/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Less meat is wasted than fruit and vegetables’

Meat industry groups like the US-based @animalag promote meat consumption, pointing out that “globally, fruits and vegetables are two to three times more likely to be wasted than meat and dairy.” 8/18
animalagalliance.org/climate-food-f…

Criticism: Studies show that “#PlantBased diets are also more climate friendly when they are wasted.”

Researchers from @UMich found that fruits and vegetables account for 8% of emissions caused by US food waste, while animal products account for 74%. 9/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Meat is needed to feed the world’s growing population’

Pork giant @DanishCrown says meat’s climate impact “does not mean that Danish Crown will be producing less meat” because “there will be approximately 10 billion mouths to feed” in 2050. 10/18
danishcrown.com/en-gb/sustaina…

Criticism: A 2018 @Nature study shows that reducing meat consumption is crucial to lowering food emissions and warns that "socioeconomic changes towards [meat-heavy] Western consumption patterns" threaten planetary boundaries such as freshwater use. 11/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Meat is an exceptional source of nutrients’

Leading meat industry players such as @TysonFoods have described meat as “an important part of a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients including amino acids, vitamins and minerals.” 12/18
web.archive.org/web/2021061606…

Criticism: According to @AmNuAssn, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” 13/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘New grazing techniques can sequester carbon’

Many meat groups emphasize the potential of innovations. @TheAHDB, a group connected to @DefraGovUK, claims that “managing livestock effectively can sequester tons of atmospheric carbon in soils.” 14/18
projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/…

Criticism: @UniofOxford scientists have criticized the idea of using grazing to capture carbon for only offsetting 20-60% of annual average emissions from the grazing sector, concluding that “grass-fed cattle remain net contributors to warming.” 15/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Claim: ‘Our farmers are reducing the emissions produced per kilo of meat’

In 2020, the world’s largest #meat producer @JBS stated that—thanks to technological progress—the company had “a huge capacity to produce more without devastating anything.” 16/18
desmog.com/agribusiness-d…

Criticism: @GRAIN_org & @IATP warn that arguments for intensity reduction without “targets to reduce the livestock sector’s total emissions” are dangerous.

Read a full summary of the industry’s narratives & their critics’ counter-arguments here.👇 17/18
desmog.com/meat-industry-…

At @Sentient_Media, we strive to create transparency about the underreported issues caused by #animal agriculture.

Help us continue our reporting on the need to hold the meat industry accountable for its climate impact by joining our membership. 18/18 👇
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