It is a proven, simple and effective way of delivering nutrients.
A while back a district health board thought it might be a good idea to cut meat from the food it offered to patients. Nutritionists were alarmed. Healing bodies need protein, they said, and animal protein is the only one that contains the complete set of amino acids. Unfortunately, this message is becoming clouded.
The environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming are being questioned and environmentalists, animal welfare and vegan advocates have stepped in to promote their causes. There is no denying farming animals has an impact. Farmers are working hard to improve the world-best production systems they already have.
The animal protein industry is being challenged but if consumers are being told plant-based diets are both better for the planet and people’s health, let’s do a better job of telling our story. We need to better promote research showing only animal protein provides easy access to a rich source of nutrients and vitamins, that it turns indigestible carbohydrates into protein and that we are addressing our environmental and greenhouse gas footprint.
Ten years of trying tells us that getting angry and playing the man and not the ball hasn’t worked for the sector. We have a strong message. We just need to tell it better.
Neal Wallace