Labour government’s ‘eat meat’ campaign flies in face of medical advice
Why are we bombarded with ads for products we already consume in abundance? This question becomes even more pressing when it comes to meat. After all, eating meat is engrained in our culture.
The last thing we need are multi-million-pound advertising campaigns to remind us about it. Yet, since the New Year, the government-sponsored Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s 'Let’s Eat Balanced' campaign has been doing just that.
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Hide AdLet’s be clear about this campaign, amplified by leading supermarkets: this is no battle of the brands, one company trying to sell more of its product over another. Instead, we are seeing money being poured into encouraging us to eat yet more meat. Period.
And the timing couldn’t be more obvious: January. Is this a clear sign that the meat industry is feeling rattled by that annual reminder of the virtues of eating more plant-based food, Veganuary?


Conflicting advice
This latest TV and cinema ad campaign comes at a time when the NHS is advising us to reign in our meat consumption, particularly red and processed meat, for the good of our health. It recommends we “do not eat too much red meat, processed meat or meat that is high in saturated fats as this can lead to health problems”, such as bowel cancer.
The World Health Organisation goes a step further, warning that processed meat like sausages, ham, and (sorry) bacon, is carcinogenic, whilst red meat is probably so. According to The Lancet Countdown, an international research collaboration that tracks the health impacts of climate change, in 2021, more than 38,500 deaths in the UK were associated with excessive consumption of red meat and dairy.
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Hide AdIn addition to health concerns, the environmental impact of meat production is significant, being one of the largest contributors to global warming and environmental degradation. The UK Committee on Climate Change has called for a 20 per cent reduction in consumption of beef, lamb, and dairy by 2050. Yet here we have a government-backed agency encouraging us to eat more.
Many unaware of red meat’s dangers
No wonder leading environmentalists including Springwatch presenter Chris Packham and Ecotricity owner Dale Vince are calling on the government for a rethink. They want an end to the ongoing consumer campaign, instead suggesting that the money be put into encouraging us all to eat more fruit and vegetables.
In a letter to the government signed by more than 40 thought-leaders, environmental, health and animal welfare organisations, new research was cited showing that 70 per cent of us in the UK don’t know the official recommendations on limiting meat consumption. A recent survey found that only 29 per cent of respondents in a representative nationwide poll could correctly identify the daily limit of 70g of red and processed meat recommended in the government’s own official dietary guidance, the Eatwell Guide.
When most people don’t seem to be aware of the dangers of eating meat, why then is a government-sponsored body promoting meat and dairy? Dale Vince described the situation as “a serious breach of the government's responsibility to give proper health advice when it comes to food”.
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Hide AdChris Packham said: “The AHDB has become little more than an advertising company for the meat and dairy industry – despite retaining the word ‘horticulture’ in its name.”
Outdated thinking
Instead of promoting meat and dairy, surely the government should get behind the farmers who really need support: those growing the nutritious pulses, fruits and veg that we should all be eating more of.
The EAT–Lancet Commission, which brings together world-leading researchers in nutrition, health and sustainability, concluded that red-meat consumption globally needs to more than halve if we are to achieve a sustainable, healthy food system.
The focus on red meat is all very well but we shouldn’t let white meat like chicken off the hook. Most the chickens reared for meat these days are kept in conditions that make them much higher in saturated fat than would be the case if kept free range.
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Hide AdIn fact, I’d go so far as to say that, rather than meat production, most chicken breeding these days is actually an exercise in fat production. Fat chickens reared in miserable conditions producing meat higher in saturated fat than if they’d been treated better. So, when it comes to food, a rethink all round is needed.
Wake-up call
Animal products are responsible for the majority of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. If we carry on eating meat as we are, then our food alone could blow our chances of keeping global warming in check.
Simply shifting from beef to chicken won’t help much, as chickens eat vast quantities of cereals and soya, thus contributing to deforestation, carbon-emitting soil degradation and emissions of nitrous oxide, the most aggressive greenhouse gas, from fertiliser use.
If we are to see the widespread uptake of healthy, planet-friendly diets, then we need clear thinking from government. What often gets overlooked is that what we eat isn’t down to unbiased choice.
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Hide AdIt’s influenced hugely by pricing, product positioning, promotion and advice. Encouraging people to eat healthy, balanced diets is seriously undermined by these old-fashioned generic advertising campaigns encouraging us to eat more of what we already eat too much of.
Educating consumers on the benefits of plant-based diets is crucial for health and environmental sustainability. It's time for the government to rethink its approach to food advertising. Instead of promoting meat, we should be encouraged to adopt healthier, more sustainable diets for the sake of our health and the planet.
Philip Lymbery is chief executive of Compassion in World Farming, president of EuroGroup for Animals, and a UN Food Systems Advisory Board member. His latest book is Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future. Philip is on X/Twitter @philip_ciwf
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