Less money, stricter requirements: now there will be an action plan against meat advertising

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The federal government spends nearly six million Swiss francs annually to promote Swiss meat. The money flows as so-called sales promotion to the association Proviande, which uses it to place TV spots and advertisements.

Environmental organizations have long criticized the federal government for these subsidies. Now the Federal Bureau of Agriculture (FOAG) is going through the books. This week, the Federal Council presented a new climate strategy for agriculture and food. One of the measures presented concerns advertising for meat, milk and other animal products.

action plan see wless money

Because the production of plant-based food ‘usually’ has less impact on the environment than the production of animal products, more tax money should flow into advertising for vegetables, fruit, grains or potatoes, for example. Sales promotions for animal products, on the other hand, must be ‘adapted’ – which should mean something like: subsidies are abolished. In 2022, the federal government supported advertising measures for animal products with about 7.4 million francs and those for plant products – excluding wine and ornamental plants – with 4.6 million francs.

In addition, the federal government wants to tighten the requirements for advertising meat or milk. According to the plan of measures, “stricter conditions should apply to state-subsidized advertising claims”. What exactly is meant by this is left open at the request of the federal government. “At the moment it is not yet known what the concrete proposals will look like,” says FOAG when asked.

By the end of the year, a study should be available that examines the extent to which subsidies for meat and milk advertising conflict with climate goals. Does the advertising really only result in more domestic meat being bought instead of foreign meat, as the meat industry emphasizes? Or will it lead to an overall increase in meat consumption, as opponents of the subsidies are convinced? The FOAG plans to submit proposals to the Federal Council by the middle of next year on how to modify the current system.

SVP Egger defends himself

Greenpeace and other organizations have filed several complaints with the Integrity Commission against state-subsidized meat advertising. From their point of view, the advertising idyll often has little to do with the reality in the stable. In 2018, a complaint was partially upheld: the chicken meat advertisement was “misleading to say the least”.

When asked about the federal government’s plans to redesign sales promotions, Greenpeace says they support the basic objective. “However, the measures need to be significantly more ambitious overall” if the goal of sustainable consumption patterns is to be achieved “within a reasonable timeframe”.

According to SVP Land Council member Mike Egger (31), the plans of the federal government do not go too little, but much too far. Unlike the nutritionists in Bern, the trained butcher does not think that the Swiss today eat too much meat on average. “Under the guise of sustainability, meat is put in a bad light,” he says. After all, meat consumption is on average only responsible for a few percent of CO2 emissions₂footprint of a person. He will therefore fight against “the state menu planning of the federal government”.

Source:Blick