Beef and sheepmeat producers are poised to star in a new social media campaign that Meat and Livestock Australia will launch next month, according to Queensland Country Life.
Called Target 100, the project aims to highlight 100 initiatives that will deliver sustainable cattle and sheep farming by 2020, while counteracting negative perceptions of the red meat industry.
The messages of producers will be carried via social media, potentially exposing best-practice operations to a worldwide audience of millions.
MLA’s David Pietsch said Target 100 was about giving producers the opportunity to tell their stories to an increasingly attentive and interested city audience, as indicated by recently compiled research.
“By telling stories about what producers are doing to care for their animals and sustainably manage the natural environment, we can continue to build the community’s trust that producers are doing the right thing and help bridge the divide with urban Australians on the issue of food production,” Pietsch said.
The program will be launched in Sydney on Tuesday, March 27. An advertising campaign will start on March 28 in major metropolitan newspapers as well as a 60-second advertisement that will be screened in cinemas and on Qantas in-flight programs.
Pietsch said the 100 initiatives were made up of research and development and extension programs that MLA funds on behalf of industry in areas including water, biodiversity, emissions and animal welfare.
“The key focus of the website is an interactive Google earth map that showcases what producers right across the country are doing on their properties and discussion forums,” he said.
“The case studies aren’t only about highlighting the best or most innovative producers, it’s about telling city people about the common practices on Australian cattle and sheep properties. Practices that enable great meat to be produced while working in harmony with our natural environment.”
Source: Queensland Country Life
