Farmers recruited for AHDB’s £3.5m meat and dairy campaign

A group of 100 farmers will use social media to market the story of UK meat and dairy production as part of the AHDB’s £3.5m We Eat Balanced campaign, running through autumn and into 2022.

Throughout September and the first half of October, farmers are highlighting the nutritional benefits of beef, pork, lamb and milk.

The autumn phase of the campaign will be followed up in January with a new TV advert and supporting activity on social media.

See also: AHDB dairy and meat adverts ‘not misleading’, rules regulator

The AHDB said the pilot of its We Eat Balanced campaign, which ran in January, showed consumers were receptive to messages reminding them of the role beef, lamb, pork and dairy can play in a balanced diet.

With farming in the spotlight as debate continues about food production and import standards in the run up to COP26 in November, the levy board says its campaign will share the story of farming in Britain by using short videos, to cut through the noise on social media.

Farmer voices

Staffordshire dairy farmer and Farmers Weekly columnist Liz Haines said the campaign will help challenge misinformation.

“Seeing campaigns like We Eat Balanced gives people the reassurance they can make healthy and sustainable choices when they choose to eat meat and dairy, and that is a really important message for the future of British farming.”

Meanwhile, AHDB Monitor pig farmer Fergus Howie said farmers need the chance to put the record straight.

He added: “During the past five years, I have witnessed how the media landscape has radically changed.

“Social media has a power I am not sure many of us could have predicted, where opinions, instead of facts, are widely reported and perpetuated.”

The autumn campaign comes as new AHDB research also shows that seven out of 10 consumers say they trust farmers when it comes to the UK’s food system – making them the most trusted group in the supply chain.

AHDB’s head of marketing Liam Byrne said: “We know that consumer trust in farmers and their role in food production remains robust and our campaign is now building on that with a focus on producers sharing their stories about how they farm and their role in maintaining our landscape and environment.”