We've been producing a lot of plant-based protein content and because of that, it's been at the forefront of my news feeds lately. But last week, following remarks President Biden made about climate change and plans to combat it, the interwebs seemed to have blown up with talk of how the president is taking away everyone's hamburgers.
My gut reaction was "Oh Jeez. Which pundit misconstrued his words?" The story continued to unfold as more people—including politicians—jumped in on the conversation crying out about how Joe was taking away everything they love. From handguns to hamburgers, apparently good ol' JB was apparently making America unfree again. Suddenly, meat consumption became a political issue. Red states vs. Blue states. Conservatives vs. Liberals. This wasn't Vegans vs. Pescatarians, but a war of words, proteins, and values.
I was curious to figure out the truth of the matter, so I did some research. The TL; DR of it all came from something the British tabloid The Daily Mail had published connecting a January 2020 study from the University of Michigan and Tulane University with Biden's remarks on climate change. The January 2020 Study was based on a hypothesis about greenhouse gas emissions and how they might be impacted if people consumed less meat.
Not once did Biden call for Americans to stop eating beef, yet a British tabloid thought it would stir the pot with a baseless claim thereby setting off a chain reaction of disinformation. That chain reaction can have serious implications not just to our politically-tired ears, but also to the industry at large. I've been around these parts long enough to see how the Pink Slime case turned out. Heck, I remember when Oprah went head-to-head with the Texas beef industry. Anyone—or anything—that tries to get in between Americans and their beef consumption is setting themselves up for a crushing blow.
Despite watching how the American beef industry handles its business, including how those previous lawsuits have panned out, I'm still sort of shocked that this speech on climate change has become a manifesto on red meat. It makes me wonder if red-meat consumption should be studied for its impact on reading comprehension and critical thinking. This entire I Ate, You Ate, Red State, Blue State situation is getting out of hand. Frankly, it has me feeling a little blue about red meat.
Now before those of you reading send me and/or my Editor any emails about how I'm furthering the Liberal or Leftist agenda, pause for a second. Let's engage a civil discourse of facts. Here is the text of President Biden's remarks on April 23 about climate action and here's the University Of Michigan/Tulane study based on a hypothesis of reducing meat consumption. Show me where Biden refers to the study. Show me where he's calling for Americans to stop eating meat.
Ironically enough, I don't eat read meat. Not because of my political leanings or because I dabble in vegan or vegetarianism, but because I'm allergic. Red meat can literally kill me.
Erin Hallstrom is the resident geek and Swiss Army Knife of FoodProcessing.com and the author of our Working Wit blog, she's responsible for the digital strategy for FoodProcessing.com including posting content, managing social media, and analyzing reader data. She's a Toastmaster, a Black Belt in Karate, and an improv performer. Erin is the creator and founder of the Influential Women in Manufacturing program, the creator, host, and producer of our Food For Thought podcast, and is a producer for our Manufacturing Tomorrow's Workforce podcast. Give her a shout-out or get in touch with her via email.
