Facing the beef backlash : Why consumer education The critical role of consumer education

The seemingly largest threat coming to the cattle industry is that of the social acceptance of our product and its production methods. Generations of past consumers purchased their beef, trusting it was healthy and safe.

I feel the majority of our population still believes this and purchases with trust and confidence. The availability of information is readily available to consumers today, but not all of it is factual and accurate. How do we make sure that the message regarding safe and relevant production is alive and well?

BY CAMERON MULRONY ICA Executive Vice President

producer and an implied trust level as they scroll through the social media outlets that promote some of these products. Outside of the boxed beef subscriptions, we look to do the same thing through branded products. The branded product has a claim and outline of what their production practices are, and the consumers that see value in having that claim and trust select those brands. These are all important marketing tools for our industry and valuable to the brands that have been built, but what about the fast food hamburger?

What are some of the things that the consumers are talking about? At times it’s a little harder to decipher the thinking of a purchasing group in urban areas, miles away, and of a demographic that does not fit that of the Idaho cattle industry. Most of us do not live in urban areas; many of us never have. As I have traveled to cities across the nation, I’ve often felt like the soar thumb in the group. Even if I was to dress in the attire and try my hardest, it would not be comfortable for me.

So, who has contact with consumers, face to face? The clerk at the grocery store, the local butcher? The delivery truck driver?

I feel like when we get outside of the rural areas, the last point of contact with beef consumers is critical in sending the message of a safe and healthy food supply. This has led to an increase in the “box beef” niche markets. People have a connection to the

The majority of beef sold in our nation is not the niche market beef. It’s the value products, the family household products. Ground beef tops the list of those products, and consumer trust in these products is vital to the industry. Now, I do not know the details of all the labeled products or direct to consumer options, however I will speculate that producers that have developed these markets also sell a portion of their livestock or product on the more conventional front. Value-added products and branded products are a continual emerging area of our industry and serve a great purpose in filling the needs of consumers. We need this in our industry.

However, we also need fast food hamburgers and trusting consumers to purchase the non-branded and niche market beef. This is where we all need to work on a continual effort to promote the health and safety of beef. I prefer marketing for the value-added to include what the production method is for your product that you are marketing. The issue I also see is marketing by the niche marketer that is demeaning to the accepted practices of the beef industry.

“Organic”, “Aged”, and “Source-Verified”, these terms tell us about the production practices or animal which are being utilized and have some type of verified standard.

What about some of the others? Hormone Free? Hormones occur naturally so no animal product is actually hormone free. Is this a misleading term? Many of us would lean toward this means that it did not receive a hormone implant, but is that the message we are sending consumers? Or customers? After a quick internet search the first thing that popped up on 2 of the 3 searches stated “No Such Thing”, “Misnomer”, and just like that we have damaged the trust between us as producers and the general consumer. In one headline it says it is a fallacy and in the next I can buy the “imaginary” product in bulk.

We have to be careful as we grow our markets direct to consumer, as well as other niche markets that we do not alienate the base of the pyramid and that we make claims that build consumer confidence.

The U.S. has the safest food supply in the world, and thankfully our consumers have enjoyed abundant options and quantities. This has also lead them to be more critical in their buying decisions. Production is something that seems to be more and more on the minds of consumers and we need them to continue to trust our industry, producers, retailers, butchers, cooks, servers, and everyone that is part of making a calf into a meal. Let’s do our part and be mindful in our practices in production and in marketing.