Sustainability in the European red meat sector

This programme concerns an information campaign aiming at increasing the awareness of the sustainability efforts of the red meat sector in Belgium and Germany. With red meat being a key European Union agricultural product, the sector is a fundamental sector for many EU Member States. We notice an increasing importance of a sustainable lifestyle and diet. This is very clear in the European Green Deal’s ambition, i.e. to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy which takes into account societal concerns on sustainability issues. However, we noticed that knowledge on the sustainability efforts of the European red meat sector is limited. Sustainability also loses out as a purchase criterion compared to other factors such as taste, convenience and price. This programme will develop and implement a multi-layered PR and communication plan to reach the target groups in both target markets: the programme will target a broad group of consumers who are the principle responsibles for purchases (PRP’s) in Belgium and B2B professionals (retail, foodservice and wholesale) in Germany. The activities will address how red meat contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation and animal welfare and antibiotics and how they help to reach the objectives of the European Green Deal. Our communication will be based on scientific data and experiences and testimonials from the sector. The objective at the end of the programme is to realise a shift in awareness about the sustainability efforts of the red meat sector beneficial for the climate, the environment and animal welfare; make sustainable meat more competitive and enhance its consumption and market share while raising its profile.