An association of the United States beef industry developed, during the 1980s and early 1990s, a campaign to question the science about the contribution of cattle farming to climate change, according to a new study. study.
The researchers analyzed documents from the National Cattlemen’s Association produced between 1986 and 1996 and identified strategies including hiring academic experts to produce data favorable to the industry. According to the authors, they did not find evidence that the association had evaluated alternatives to reduce the climate impact of beef production.
Instead, the organization would have focused its efforts on a communications campaign aimed at casting doubt about global warming and on the research concerning methane emitted by cattle.
The study describes this behavior as an example of a broader strategy to transform environmental and scientific problems into communication and public relations issues, hindering the adoption of policy measures to address emissions from agriculture.
Archived documents reveal strategy
The investigation was based on archival documents that had remained stored for decades and that were analyzed by the researchers to reconstruct the association’s actions.
For John Kerr, a researcher at the University of Otago in New Zealand, the study constitutes a detailed historical analysis of the efforts of an industrial group to impede the development of climate science and to avoid responsibility regarding emissions from the agricultural sector.
The researcher considers that some of the identified strategies remain relevant and also points to more recent campaigns by the meat industry against studies and recommendations that advocate reducing red meat consumption due to its climate impact.
Kerr emphasizes, however, that groups in the agricultural sector have a legitimate role in the debate on climate policies. The problem arises, in his view, when economic interests conflict with scientific evidence about environmental or health impacts and the response is to try to discredit the research rather than to confront the problem.
The study also shows the importance of historical archives for understanding the relationship between industrial interests, communication and science. The researchers had to physically consult documents that remained for decades outside the reach of digital research.
