The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2021 Virtual Stakeholders Summit preconference webinars, sponsored by Protect the Harvest, wrapped up May 4 and included sessions highlighting ways to connect with companies sharing misinformation, updates on the political climate, and tips for virtual influencer and stakeholder engagement. The 2021 Virtual Summit, themed “Obstacles to Opportunities,” officially kicks off today and continues through tomorrow afternoon. If you missed registering for the event, you can still follow along with the live Twitter coverage sponsored by National Biodiesel Board using #AAA21.
Alison Van Eenennaam, PhD, animal genomics and biotechnology specialist at the University of California, Davis, kicked off the preconference webinar series sharing what we can learn from past science communication failures when it comes to addressing consumer concerns about food. She shared that there is a need to feed more people while decreasing animal agriculture’s impact on the environment – but the acceptance of advancements in food and technology needs to be communicated well to be accepted by consumers. She noted that food technology is often accepted in alternative proteins but not in traditional meat due to how the products are viewed and promoted. Traditional meat is seen as “a big boogeyman that’s trying to take over the world,” and alternative proteins are viewed as a “savior.” Dr. Van Eenennaam highlighted the importance of being positive toward all types of agriculture and food production as attacking certain methods only incites fear and uncertainty in the food supply. This fear is not only an issue for those trying to market their products but also a food security issue because it hurts the agriculture community’s ability to produce more food while using fewer resources to meet the demands of a growing population.