Benefits of beef farming overlooked, claims group

The National Beef Association (NBA) said it was “alarmed” at the lack of knowledge of the benefits beef production in the UK offers, and is concerned that academics and scientific advisers show a bias against cattle production without having a full understanding of the sector and all it can offer.

It said there was a “lack of knowledge” and a “fundamental misunderstanding” of beef cattle industry issues, not just by academics but other specialists who are advising the UK government on food security, climate change, and other important issues.

Top scientific advisers are still quoting greenhouse gas emission figures that have since been amended by scientists and academics alike after discovering fundamental mistakes in their calculations, the NBA argued.

The call comes after Professor Sir John Beddington, the government’s chief scientist, last week told a group assembled by the Government to discuss future UK and world food supply problems, that it took 11,000 litres of water to produce a single beefburger.

The NBA said that, while this may be the case globally, looking at it in a UK perspective, it takes just 67 litres of piped water to produce 1kg of beef.

NBA director Kim Haywood said: “The association is certain that beef production in the UK can contribute positively to future food security as well as deliver a number of important environmental, ecological, and public health benefits.

“To do this effectively though, we need the leading advisers to ensure they are up to date with their information and are aware of the positive story that is there to tell, rather than simply repeating outdated figures that bear little resemblance to the position in this country.

“This undermines the integrity of beef production because the association has seen first hand that it is accepted, without challenge, by the great majority of academics and scientists that advise our government.”

Shoppers’ changing habits

Rising food prices are driving a major shift in the way UK shoppers buy and think about food, the Crop Protection Association has claimed.

New research finds that in response to increases in the cost of food, UK consumers are changing their weekly shopping habits to balance the household budget and are becoming more informed and concerned about the global factors affecting current food prices and the security of food supply for future generations.