“A range of options around personal dietary change was far more prominent in the media discussion of solutions than government policies, reforming agricultural practices or holding major animal food companies accountable.”
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If we are going to look at what we’re going to be eating and how we’re going to produce it, we need to be looking at all sorts of things – including animal agriculture, climate change, diet and lab-grown alternatives:
The future of farming – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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How the media does this is looked at in a challenging piece of research from James Painter, of Oxford University and a collaborator with the Livestock, Environment and People group:
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Meat in the media – what do we know about media coverage of animal agriculture, climate change, diet and lab-grown alternatives?
When greenhouse gases were covered, consumer responsibility was mentioned more than that of governments or large-scale livestock farms.
In similar fashion, a range of options around personal dietary change was far more prominent in the media discussion of solutions than government policies, reforming agricultural practices or holding major animal food companies accountable for their emissions.
Despite the many uncertainties around cultured meat, news media may be playing a key role in contributing to overly positive descriptions of cultured meat, by overemphasizing its potential benefits to the environment, health, animal welfare and feeding a growing population.
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Finally, a perspective from another part of the country:
Sheep farming in Cumbria – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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