Earthling Ed has slammed a new UK campaign promoting meat and dairy for 'defying' science and brands it 'not acceptable'.
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The UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has created a new campaign which promotes meat and dairy, at a time where more people are moving towards a plant-based diet in the midst of a climate emergency.
Part of the £1.5 million campaign is a short advert showing ‘the story of a food so natural it takes the rain from the sky and the plants we humans cannot eat and turns it into something wonderful.’ AKA, cows eating grass and being killed for meat.
Issues with the advert
The AHDB claims that the campaign is an ‘evidence-based antidote to the misinformation’. However, the irony here is striking.
The first issue with this advert is that it manipulates the viewer into thinking 100% of British farmed animals only eat grass. This is simply untrue. In fact, 73% of livestock animals are factory farmed in the UK, and not grass-fed as the advert insinuates.
Secondly, the advert claims that meat and dairy contain ‘essential nutrients our bodies need to help us stay healthy’. Again, the exact opposite is true. Meat and dairy have been shown to increase our risk of certain cancers and heart disease – two of the biggest global killers. Moreover, it is possible to find all your ‘essential nutrients’ in a plant-based diet, meaning meat and dairy are certainly not necessary for good health.
Finally, the advert is dangerously promoting the consumption of animal products during a pandemic which was likely caused by that exact action.
Experts are warning us that farming and eating animals is driving us closer to more deadly pandemics, and the ignorance of the AHDG is extraordinary. They have indisputably shown just how out of touch the agricultural sector is, and Earthling Ed is not standing for it.
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‘The story of a food so unethical’
Instead of manipulating viewers, Earthling Ed’s ‘remake’ is the real story of animal agriculture, informing the viewer of the process of meat production, and the impact that it has on our health and the environment.
Ed’s honest advert reads: “We’ve all got a lot on our plates right now, but here’s something you don’t want to ignore.
“The story of a food so unethical it takes the life on an animal, destroys the environment we humans rely on, and then in return creates something terrible. A product containing cholesterol and saturated fat that can cause disease: meat and dairy.
“It’s time to change the food we eat. Eat plant-based.”
‘This is in no way acceptable’
Writing on Instagram, Earthling Ed told his followers: “Imagine pushing meat and dairy consumption during a pandemic and a climate emergency, when leading infectious disease experts and climate scientists keep warning us about the major role that animal farming has in creating future pandemics, and in destroying the planet.
“This is in no way acceptable. Not to mention that the advert itself is a woefully inadequate and poorly executed response to the success of Veganuary.
“I decided that if AHDB is going to put up an advert that defies the science and perpetuates the needless suffering of animals, then it’s only fair that I remake their advertisement to show the reality behind these industries.
“I’ve also paid for it to be advertised to as many people as possible on YouTube, at least that way hopefully many of the people who have seen the AHDB advert, will also see this one as well.”
We love Ed’s remake, and we can’t wait to see the reaction (and hopefully a retraction) from the AHDG!
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