The disinformation in culture wars being fought over Irish meat and dairy

A deep dive into the social media “culture wars” being fought over meat and dairy has shown how a US study on lab grown meat was used to spread misinformation about Irish proposals to reduce agriculture emissions.

Not-for-profit, Changing Markets Foundation, set out to uncover the ‘truth and lies’ of campaigns against sustainable food and farming given agriculture’s role in the climate crisis ahead of COP28.

Following a study of 14 months of meat and dairy related social media posts from June 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023, data analysts found almost a million misleading ones attacking everything from ‘soyboys’ to Bill Gates and the Global Elite.

Read more: Scientists back EPA in ‘eat less meat’ row amid backlash from IFA

Among them were a flood of conspiracy theories, junk science and aggressive pro-meat posts aimed at attacking scientific and political concern over the environmental and health impacts of farming and diet.

Some were found to mix conspiracy theories with genuine government proposals in Ireland as well as the US and Netherlands.

The report also found that over 50% of engagement in conversations focused on pro-meat and dairy narratives related to posts from just 50 accounts – many of whom claim to be doctors or wellness experts.

Others were notable – mostly far-right – media and political figures according to the report.

Changing Markets Foundation senior campaigner, Maddy Haughton-Boakes, said: “We traced online attacks on alternative proteins and posts that exaggerate the benefits of meat and dairy directly to industry and its representatives.

“A large volume of conspiracy theories and culture war content about food and farming came from those on the political far-right rather than industry.

“But the two have a shared agenda, to downplay the science and weaken regulation.

“This ultimately maintains and even enhances the status quo of high meat and dairy consumption with low regulation.”

In the largest ever analysis of online meat and dairy-related misinformation, Swiss firm Ripple Research uncovered how posts about US university, UC Davis’ study, suggesting lab grown meat “is worse for the environment than beef” caused a spike on social media that reached a critical point when it intersected with Irish policy debate around agricultural emissions reductions and herd numbers.

According to the research, the article’s first amplification online was on May 9, before it was sensationalised then fuelled by US conservatives including Donald Trump Jr, used to fearmonger and finally push back against Irish policy to reduce agricultural emissions.

Along the way, analysts found the conversation was also linked to the ‘The Great Reset’ conspiracy theory – in this case arguing the WEF is ‘forcing’ people to consume ‘environmentally unfriendly’ lab grown meat.

The researchers say the ‘UC Davis’ chat was significant, because the university has known links to the livestock industry and the spike in conversation was an outlier as environment mentions scarcely go viral.

Lab grown meat linked with Irish agriculture debates on climate

Meanwhile, the paper on lab grown meat hadn’t been peer reviewed but was presented as showing conclusive results.

It was also linked to debate in Ireland around the proposed reduction of 200,000 dairy cows – which was not official policy.

But researchers found the ‘UC Davis’ narrative was used to push back on the proposal – with critics misleadingly blaming lab-grown meat.

They also say it is too early to know the impact this misinformation and heightened discussion on the subject could have on policy debate around both agricultural emissions cuts in Ireland and reducing herd numbers.

Changing Markets Foundation, however, says: “This policy pushback highlights how a single study can be manipulated and weaponised to serve the agenda of people who want to prevent change.

“The discussion ignores that Ireland is a huge producer of meat and dairy, where agricultural emissions represent the largest share of national emissions (38.4% in 2022) – yet this sector is required to cut its emissions the least, indicating preferential treatment for farmers.

“Since 2015, the Irish dairy cattle herd has increased and its per capita methane emissions from dairy and beef are the highest in the EU and rising.”

Agricultural production emits around 37% of all global greenhouse gases – with over half of it coming from animal agriculture.

It is also the generator of human-made methane emissions (32%) while rearing animals takes up a disproportionate amount of land for the calories and protein eating animals actually delivers.

Worldwide, over 80% of land is used to farm animals that deliver just 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of its protein.

Crops, on the other hand, produce 82% of global calories and 63% of global protein.

If people in countries like Ireland don’t cut the amount of meat they eat and the sector continues to grow at a ‘business as usual rate’ the report estimates that by 2030 the sector will account for 49% of the global emissions budget for 1.5°C.

The country has already witnessed the furore that can surround social media posts from an official source, advising people to eat less meat.

Earlier this year the Irish Farmers Association complained to the Environmental Protection Agency about one such tweet – which urged people to “cut down your red meat intake” and “eat more veggies” to be “healthier, wealthier and more fabulous”.

The Tweet was removed but the story blew up in the media.

Changing Markets says debate around regulating meat and dairy is becoming more divisive – fuelled in part by efforts to spread misinformation on social media.

But polarisation on the critical climate and health issue also risks making policy in this area more difficult.

They have also raised concerns that some politicians – like Rishi Sunak declaring he would drop a non-existent meat tax – might move to embrace the meat and dairy ‘culture war’ to win votes.

The IFA has been contacted for comment.

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