Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) says ‘bettertarianism’ is a new food philosophy designed to raise awareness of the effects consumers’ food choices can have on their health, the environment and animal welfare.
MLA marketing manager Lachlan Bowtell says the campaign seeks to address growing consumer confusion about responsible food choices. “We are helping people to navigate the confusion and the guilt some groups are trying to put on them about their food choices.
“Through our Target 100 program and the bettertarian campaign, the industry [wants] to build people’s trust in the Australian beef and lamb industry to sustainably manage the environment and care for animals while producing nutritious food.”
The bettertarian philosophy arose during a trip by a chef and television personality, Darren Robertson, and a sustainable food advocate, Rebecca Sullivan, with three urban Australians to a cattle and sheep farm in Tasmania to see firsthand how animals were raised and meat produced.
Bettertarianism seeks to keep the food message simple, Robertson says. “Eating today can seem complicated – endless food ideologies and confusing messages, rules and restrictions for achieving optimal health and nutrition and minimising impact on the planet.
“There had to be a simpler way, [hence] bettertarian, a person who is a conscious consumer who wants to feel better about what they eat and the impact their food choices have on the environment.”
They visited Bangor Farm, Tasmania, owned and run by fifth-generation cattle and sheep producer Matt Dunbabin, an industry advocate through Target 100.
“For city visitors, experiencing a cattle and sheep farm firsthand gave them a new perspective on the way they approach food.
“Once they saw how we worked with the environment and put the welfare of our animals at the top of our priority list, it set them on a new path of finding better ways to eat.”
Out of the farm visit came a television documentary – The journey of a bettertarian.
Everyone can get behind this, says Bowtell. “We are encouraging producers, the wider industry and all beef and lamb lovers to help spread the word through their social media networks.”
