‘It’s a wonderful story so let’s get out there and tell it’ urges Cook

Scotland’s farmers need to rise to the challenge to get the excellent story behind the sustainability credentials of the country’ s beef industry across to the wider public.

That was the message to come out of the showpiece seminar at yesterday’s Beef Event 2019, when industry leaders said that the current tendency in some quarters to blame the livestock sector in Scotland for contributing to the planet’s ills should be countered by everyone involved in all aspects of the business.

Stating that the industry had been “rubbish” at selling the excellent sustainability story behind beef and lamb production in Scotland, North-east food and farming consultant Peter Cook said that the industry had a wonderful sto - ry to tell–it just had to be sure to tell it well and tell it widely. “We should take the high ground and do it cleverly – but we need to get in their!” he said.

Q MS chair Kate Rowell urged producers to get behind the latest“meat with integrity” campaign which would outline the high sustainability, environmental and welfare standards of red meat produced in Scotland :“But while everyone expects QMS to push this message we need to hear from real farmers and others in the trade – we need as many involved in talking up the industry as possible.”

However she also hinted that there were lessons to be learnt from the current Irish “Origin Green” scheme which had seen that country gain wide recognition as a world leader on this front after the country’ s farm assurance scheme included sustainability credentials as a key element in their assessments.