Big Meat and Dairy as 'Commercial Determinants of Health'

This year, the Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) had a brilliant theme for its annual conference: "Commercial Determinants of Health."

The idea riffs off the social-science concept of "social determinants of health," which recognizes that the health of individuals and communities is based on more than simply biology. Health is hugely influenced by social factors, which are many but include geography, access to decent housing and healthy food, and freedom (or lack thereof) from prejudice and discrimination. The idea broadens our understanding of public health. Based on my decades of research into animal agriculture, into meat promotion and excessive consumption of animal-source foods, I consider Big Meat a slam-dunk example of a commercial determinant of health.

Here's a summary of my talk, with a few references you may find useful. Please contact me any time for discussions or more resources. And please comment at the bottom of the post.

High Steaks: Regulating the Promotion of Factory-Farmed Animal-Source Foods

Meat as a Commercial Determinant of Health

Global livestock and meat production, processing, and distribution are mostly owned and controlled by small numbers of very large multi-billion-dollar corporations. And those companies spare no expense to convince us to buy more and more of their products.

Livestock and meat also influence health at every level. Over-consumption, especially of red and processed meats, makes people vulnerable to chronic disease. Over-production pollutes water, soil, and air — and contributes to the rise of diseases like avian flu. Emissions from meat production are a significant factor in the climate crisis. Eggs and dairy products are also emissions-intensive but meat, especially beef and lamb, is the most emissions-intensive food.

Massive marketing and advertising

Meat corporations heavily promote their goods and maintain the idea that “meat is what we eat,” through persistent lobbying of public officials and funding of academics who'll conduct flattering research. Plus, producer-funded marketing program Beef Checkoff flog initiatives like its “MBA” — a “Master of Beef Advocacy” that trains participants on how to improve the industry’s image.

Beef industry marketers now offer an "MBA" — a "Masters of Beef Advocacy" — to anyone who completes self-guided modules on how to be a spokesperson for beef, which is under fire for its role in speeding climate change.

Advertising of meat in the forms of burgers, steaks, bacon and more is ubiquitous. It normalizes excessive consumption of meat, misleads about its health and environmental impacts, greenwashes its climate impacts, and accelerates demand. And the promotion-machine works! Food scholars have demonstrated that people who view images of meat are more likely to want meat, buy it, and say they have no intention of lowering their meat consumption.

A 2022 study in the Journal of Health Communication exposed participants to two types of ads: some with images of meat, some without. It affirmed that exposure to meat imagery in advertising can influence desire to consume meat.

Potential responses and solutions

Britain is banning television ads for foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt before 9 p.m., and in online media. Singapore has banned ads for the most unhealthy sugary drinks. The Hague is banning ads for fossil fuels, gas-fuelled cars, and long-distance air travel. Edinburgh, Scotland is banning advertising and sponsorships for fossil fuel companies, airlines, airports, fossil-fuel powered cars, cruise ships and arms on council owned spaces. Note that these bans don’t actually limit businesses that sell meat from describing them in what is known as “transactional content” — such as menus or order-out services, or websites you visit to purchase a flight. What they do is stop allowing ad-driven inflation of demand.

Considering that meat advertising feeds excessive consumption which undermines governments’ best efforts on climate and health, should we put a lid on the relentless pro-meat messaging from industry? The Netherlands is daring to do so. Even beyond Haarlem (discussed in one of my recent posts), additional Dutch municipalities (like Bloemendaal, Tilburg, and Wageningen) and the province of Noord-Holland are discussing or implementing bans in city-owned spaces on advertising for meat and other emissions-intensive goods and services.

European cities are showing leadership on this. It's time Canadians stepped up as well.

References:

• National Farmers' Union on corporate concentration in livestock: https://www.nfu.ca/learn/livestock/corporate-concentration-of-the-livestock-industry/
• Recent research showing that meat ads do work: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35492015/