The campaign will incorporate traditional and new advertising citing “the Welsh Way” of producing beef and lamb, illustrating how it can be a positive choice for consumers.
In particular, there will be a focus on further development of HCC’s social media strategy, as well as targeted advertising on digital TV and print media.
Kevin Roberts, chair at HCC, told Food Manufacture that it was particularly important to enforce the organisation’s views on climate change and the role played by the meat industry.
Defend and positively commend
“We will defend and positively commend our industry’s position on climate change,” he said.
“We say that it is time to combat the constant rat-tat-tat of cheap jibes and false claims on matters that make a great difference to our businesses regarding veganism and environmental issues.
“We will make consumers more aware of how the Welsh Way of rearing livestock is completely different from intensive production systems elsewhere. Our way is non-intensive, our landscape is ideally suited to rearing livestock on natural grass and rainfall, and our farms act as a carbon sink, which can help mitigate climate change.”
Roberts was speaking at HCC’s annual conference, held on 14 November in Builth Wells.
Healthy options
The news comes as the meat industry continues to battle the soaring growth of plant-based products as consumers seek out seemingly more healthy options for the future.
Food Manufacture recently revealed that beef producers and the Government had agreed to unite to explore ways to increase awareness of the benefits of red meat, amid fears that competition from plant-based products was further damaging the already beleaguered industry.
Meat processor ABP Food Group is also undertaking a study on the future and sustainability of the meat industry, which it will launch and submit to the Government in the coming weeks.