Making Meat Better

The thirst for knowledge on how our food is produced and gaining a better understanding of the implications for our health and the health of the planet has never been greater. That thirst needs to be welcomed and encouraged.

If consumers have a better understanding of where our food comes from, how it was produced, how it was handled on the journey to our plate and how it impacts our body once we eat it, the more appreciation and respect we will have the product itself.

The thing is, discussions around those topics, particularly if they take place on the internet, often dissolve into shouting matches and, more often than not, insults are thrown. All is left is a sea of confusion and resentment.

MakingMeatBetter.nz aims to cut through the noise that surrounds beef and lamb produced in New Zealand. It is here to act as a sensible and measured way of highlighting what’s good about our industry and why New Zealanders can feel proud of our farmers and the food we produce.

But, first things first, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Yes, this is a website built and paid for by the beef and sheep industry. Yes, the website lists a number of facts that aim to remove perceived guilt that some try to attach to eating red meat, and yes, there will be those out there who will try to discredit these facts on the basis that it’s come from ‘the industry’.

But it is vital that these conversations are inclusive, that no one is shut out from them on the grounds that they derive their livelihoods from producing the product, so that Kiwis can make an informed decision.

So, all we ask of you is that you take a moment to explore MakingMeatBetter.nz, see what we have to say, and if you have a little extra time, take a deeper dive into scientific references that underpin the facts featured on the site.

We are not here to shout at you, lecture you, or make you feel ashamed for having genuine concerns or legitimate questions, we are here to have a conversation.