Is it ethical to use idyllic images of animals roaming outdoors, in advertising and on pack, when most are intensively farmed? Some argue it’s deliberately misleading, while others regard it as acceptable if it represents some animals in their supply chain. At what point does putting a positive spin on something turn into disinformation?
I believe it’s plain wrong if the imagery doesn’t fairly represent reality. While greenwashing and nutrition-washing are receiving growing scrutiny, there has been less focus on animal welfare. ‘Humane-washing’ uses deceptive labels and imagery to sell animal-derived products. On adverts and in retail aisles, you’ll see depictions of happy cows and happy chickens. However, no one will claim all farmed animals are happy.
UK farmers have a lot to be unhappy about at the moment. The public will be unhappy too if those producing and selling meat, dairy, eggs, fish and seafood paint a false picture about the animals those products derive from. ‘This is what we want customers to see’ is not a legitimate argument if the public are seeing images that differ from the truth.
The Animal Law Foundation published research into the prevalence of misleading images about farmed animals in supermarkets and their supply chains. Three of the nine UK supermarkets investigated only showcased healthy animals outdoors, and did not show any imagery of animals being reared indoors, as is widespread in some sectors.
Its report, ‘Food Chain Misinformation’, could arguably have been called ‘Food Chain Disinformation’. The two terms can cause confusion, as they’re both about developing or sharing fake news. However there’s an important difference: misinformation may occur by mistake, whereas disinformation is deliberate.
Government intervention?
Governments should clamp down on misleading images and claims. While images are important, so is what’s written on pack. Introducing mandatory method of production labelling would shed light on farming practices, promoting transparency for the public.
Over a billion animals are slaughtered annually in England and Wales, and that’s not including fish. Every animal life and death matter, so we need to make treatment and slaughter of farmed animals as humane as possible. More fundamentally, we should question how much of our diets should derive from animals in the first place.
Let’s push back against the tide of disinformation. Only if the public get a fair and frank picture will they be able to better connect with farmers and with where their food comes from. More honest promotion by food companies of the reality of farming will incentivise higher standards and better practice.
Happier customers, happier farmers and happier animals might sound like a pipe dream, but we can do it. Keep the imagery if you like, but only if you change farming practices accordingly.
Dan Crossley, executive director at the Food Ethics Council
No comments yet