Views, News, and Something to Muse from the Beef + Lamb New Zealand CEO

Views, News and Something to Muse is a regular blog from Kit Arkwright, CEO of Beef + Lamb New Zealand – the consumer marketing body for the beef and sheep industry.

Firstly, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Kit and I am the lucky person who has just been appointed Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc CEO.

Now I know I am biased, but I see this as the best job in New Zealand agriculture. Why? Because I get to spend my day thinking about the two most delicious foods known to mankind – beef and lamb. And not just any ol’ beef and lamb, New Zealand’s beef and lamb.

What I plan do to in this corner of the internet is share my views, a little bit of news and provide something to muse over. So, for my first foray in this format I wanted to say something out loud that is often overlooked or forgotten about.

New Zealand is still a meat-loving country. There you go, I said it.

Despite what some might have you believe, we are not on the verge of New Zealand becoming a vegan state. There is no doubt that interest in meat-free diets has grown; it is driven by genuine concerns around animal-sourced foods’ welfare standards as well as environmental and health impacts and it will pay for us to listen and respond.

But we’re not here to discuss that today. What I wanted to share with you is some optimism.

We know from our consumer research undertaken by Colmar Brunton, roughly nine out of every 10 Kiwi households are eating our product. That means the vast majority of Kiwis are tucking into delicious, succulent, juicy, flavoursome, grass-fed New Zealand beef and lamb. And what’s more, they love it.

If we drill down into how people feel about beef and lamb as a product specifically, the statistics speak for themselves. Versatility, taste, ease, and convenience all rank highly in the minds of Kiwis. Where their health is concerned, almost three-quarters of Kiwis recognise red meat as being good for health and nutrition. Only 7% disagree.

What can we take from this? Kiwis like eating beef and lamb, they like cooking with it and when they eat it, they feel good about how it fuels their body.

At Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc where our focus is on the domestic market, we try to view our challenges in context. We are not naïve about Kiwis’ perceptions of our industry, but it is also very easy to get consumed by the negatives.

So, the next time you’re looking down at a plate of perfectly medium-rare sirloin steak or blushingly pink lamb and your mouth is watering in anticipation, just know the rest of New Zealand feels the same as you do.