20 | SOCIETY NEWS
Shand reflects Despite the increased price of beef, considerable challenges are still faced by the public perception of the industry, tree planting and farm support. We leave 2021 with the beef industry in reasonably good shape, although input prices have risen sharply in the weeks ending 2021 and those at the beginning of 2022, says National Beef Association chief executive Neil Shand. “If I had said in April 2020 that the farm gate price would rise by 85 pence per kilo in the next 18 months, my state of mind may just have been questioned,” he says. “It is likely the challenges facing us in 2022 will be largely consistent with those of the last 18 months, although it’s obviously difficult to predict the pandemic complications which may arise next. 2019 was the last comparable year, and it’s likely involving 2020 and 2021 are, in reality, unhelpful and misleading, and tell us little about what to expect for the coming year. However, one thing is certain; Covid-19 has changed the way people live their lives, and we can expect some permanent changes on the back of this in our ‘new normal’.” Neil says the prediction based on current issues is that next year’s challenges will revolve around industry reputation, environmental solutions and farm support. He continues: “In an ever-evolving world where transparency is vital, and longforgotten spoken or written words can be regurgitated at any time, we must be mindful of the increasing microscopic analysis of food production, especially where animals are involved.
Neil Shand “Our processes must be bombproof and fully transparent. Too much airtime spent fighting back on dietary choices is not a sensible use of energy; people should have freedom of choice to decide what and how they eat.” The industry’s resources should be used to ensure standards remain steadfast and comprehensive, so that the reputation of the industry cannot be exploited by failings in health and welfare systems, Neil suggests. “The Westminster government has made it clear they will not dictate what the population should and shouldn’t eat. We must embrace this support and hold them to their promises.” He says: “There is a lot of media and industry focus on the recent trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, but perhaps we should be less concerned about this than we appear to be. Global demand for beef is increasing, and we would do well to ensure our own house is in order, firstly in terms of our standards, with everything geared towards
maintaining and improving them, thus protecting the reputation of home production. “The climate change committee is suggesting a 20 per cent reduction in meat consumption by 2030. This covers all meats - beef, lamb, pork, chicken and even fish - and is an overall reduction not a 20 per cent reduction per sector. “Looking at current trends and the obvious fact that people must eat a certain quantity of food to survive, these proposed reductions appear completely unachievable. Perhaps it would make much more sense for the climate change committee to consider researching targets that are actually attainable,” he says. The environmental challenge is massive, and the potential for mistakes to be made more so, he comments. “In the rush to try and ‘fix climate change’ in the shortest time possible, long term side effects of hastily made decisions are being overlooked. Projects implemented without any thought of
