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Few things are more powerful than the court of public opinion. Take social media for example. A graphic shared on Facebook, regardless of its accuracy, has the potential to start a trend or change a belief system. Public opinion has swayed legislative decisions, forced court rulings, ended careers, sparked movements, and so on. Perception matters, which is why most companies have public relations departments.
The beef industry faces constant scrutiny. Its reputation is often determined by whoever speaks loudest, whether activists, dietitians, or the most-liked, most-viewed posts online.
So, what’s the deal with beef? Why is the public divided in opinion?
And why does the beef industry itself have disunity?
To explore this topic, we must first paint with broad strokes and examine the culture of public opinion, specifically what drives it. Humanity shares certain values such as the want for justice, health, and transparency. It’s probably safe to assume we all feel a moral obligation to protect rights and safeguard lives. The disagreement, however, occurs when our biases—our personal experiences that shape how we view the world—determine contrasting ways of living out those values.
Yes, this is a lot of philosophical talk for a beef article, but laying a framework for how we view public opinion will help us unpack the beef industry’s controversy.
Why is Agriculture a hot topic?
So much of the disagreement surrounding Agriculture comes from (1) the biases mentioned earlier and (2) fallacies rooted in good intentions. Most people in the U.S. do not have a basic understanding of food production. Pair the lack of education with a strong distrust of our food system, and we have a dangerous situation. If people want healthy food but don’t know how it’s produced, they’ll be more susceptible to false claims, fake news—you name it. Education is the key to solving most disputes and ensuring the success of U.S. Agriculture.
But is there one right opinion when it comes to Agriculture?
Looking at human nature, we like clearly defined categories, especially “good vs. evil.” We consider two options, choose the one we determine “good,” and demonize the other. The same concept applies to the public’s opinions of Agriculture. Unfortunately, like most things, Agriculture is too broad and nuanced to fall into black-and-white categories. Beef production is no different.
The main takeaway is that, although public opinion likes to demonize aspects of the industry without having enough information, the public tends to have positive intentions. This article isn’t meant to scold differing perspectives. If anything, it’s intended to offer grace and say, “The industry understands why you think that way.” At least partial responsibility for the lack of Ag education and the disunity within the beef industry falls to producers. Sure, the modern world creates a massive gap between the public and their food, but perhaps more can be done to form a bridge.
Now let’s zero in on the beef industry.
Why does “good vs. evil” seem rampant in the beef industry?
Beyond the public’s innate desire for categories, the beef industry (by nature) invites criticism. Beef comes from cattle, so how a person views animals, the natural order, environmental stewardship, etc. will determine their feelings about eating beef. Also, there are countless models of producing beef. Some producers raise cattle on a large scale to cater to the masses. Their goal is to yield affordable beef and plenty of it. To do that, they often employ feedlots and cheap feed guaranteed to fatten cattle. The bottom line is they meet a need, but their methods draw criticism from the public.
Other producers raise beef for health-conscious individuals. Their cattle programs differ, but they describe their beef as grass-fed, organic, all-natural—the list goes on. It’s important to note that beef production doesn’t always fit into one of these two categories. As stated earlier, it is broad and nuanced.
According to the USDA and Texas A&M, “family farms make up 96% of the United States farm production system. Only 2-3% of farms are family-owned corporations and less than 1% of farms are corporate farms. Half of the beef cattle produced are raised on ranches that have a hundred cattle or less.”
Beef production is a complex topic because it differs between producers.
Are some beef producers better than others?
The public doesn’t enjoy seeing pictures and videos of sickly feedlot cattle. They especially don’t like hearing that some cattle are fed French fries and candy. Even so, beef production models aren’t the main cause of controversy and disunity. Perhaps the greatest division occurs within the beef industry itself.
Before we shift focus to the internal struggles, let’s give public opinion one last close-up. The public faces a lot of obstacles. As mentioned earlier, they desire healthy food but lack Ag education, which makes them easy targets for those pushing agendas. They’re bombarded with messaging: Beef is healthy. Only grass-fed beef is healthy. Beef causes heart disease. Beef is murder. Classifying the industry into “good” and “bad” categories makes sense. How else can a person wrap their mind around such a loud topic?
Environmental and animal rights groups only add to the noise. The point to make here is that beef is personal. It affects one’s health and involves convictions toward meat and animal treatment, explaining much of the controversy. Yes, not every producer treats cattle humanely. Yes, grass-fed beef is typically more nutritious than grain-fed beef. There are clear truths in the beef industry, but understanding the industry’s scope and purpose helps sort fact from fiction.
Why is the beef industry divided?
“Divided” may seem a brazen claim. Over the past fifty years, ranchers and farmers have advocated for Agriculture and worked to gain the public’s support. They’ve maintained an overall team mentality and seen positive results. That said, competition isn’t the root of internal struggle. Although beef producers differ in methodology to a degree, the division is arguably unintentional.
Supply and demand carve out a space for every type of beef producer, but with more people interested in grass-fed and organic, producers frequently pit their beef against others. The problem isn’t competition but comparison in pursuit of marketing beef.
Looking at production claims and advertising, the division lies in communication. Beef producers are still figuring out how to communicate about beef and the industry. From a marketing standpoint, friendly comparison isn’t an issue. However, adding to the negativity doesn’t make sense when factoring in public opinion and outward obstacles.
“We are learning too.”
Here at Lazy T Ranch, we constantly evaluate ourselves and pinpoint what works and what doesn’t. Recently we’ve realized the importance of unity. Although we strongly believe in our beef program, we think there’s a way to support the industry while promoting our ranch-to-table products.
We believe education is the answer. Instead of comparison (of which we’ve been guilty in the past), teaching introduces the public to everything the beef industry offers.
Reputation is unavoidable; let’s make it intentional.
Public opinion will always have mixed views of the beef industry, but education can help bridge the gap between people and their food and empower informed buying decisions.
Check out our next article for the most-asked questions about the beef industry.
