NZRSB questions UN claims about meat industry

The New Zealand Roundtable for Sustainable Beef is condemning a United Nations campaign about the impact of the meat industry on the environment. 

The UN has published claims that the meat industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the world’s biggest oil companies [see below]. 

“We’re not looking to pick a fight with the UN or the oil industry but we simply cannot let this statement go unchecked. It is over-simplified and isn’t supported by science,” says Grant Bunting, New Zealand Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Chairman. 

“The New Zealand Roundtable for Sustainable Beef joins the Global Roundtable and all other Roundtables around the world in calling for the UN to halt its campaign. 

“The UN’s role is to demonstrate leadership, promote peace and bring countries and communities together: singling out meat in this way for condemnation is unhelpful and inaccurate.” 

Grant says the UN’s claims ignore science, aren’t solutions focused and don’t take into account the great work farmers, industry, researchers and governments around the world are progressing. 

“The original tweet has now been removed, however the NZRSB remains concerned that the underlying sentiment behind the UN’s statement, that led to the mis-information, may still exist. The statement doesn’t tell the whole story: at its most basic level the oil industry is releasing carbon that’s been locked away for millions of years, while meat producers absorb carbon in the pasture before emitting it. In addition, agricultural methane is largely depleted within 12 years. 

“The food industry is in a unique position: while generating emissions, the production of food and fibre also has the potential to sequester carbon,” he says. 

“Around the world meat is an essential protein and globally farmers are doing an amazing job at helping to feed the world. 

“The NZRSB goal is to be recognised as the world’s most sustainable beef, continuously improving outcomes that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound,” Grant says. 

“There’s a lot of good work going on around the world in this space and taking a science-based solutions focus would be more beneficial than this divisive, inaccurate sound-bite approach. 

“The Global Roundtable is taking a stand on this and is raising its concerns directly with the UN.” 

For more information contact:
NZRSB Chair 
027 665 7616 
grant.bunting@nzsustainablebeef.co.nz