Here's a quick summary from each of the breakouts:

Nutrition – Meat is delicious, convenient, and healthy, full of micronutrients. However, consumers still are concerned about saturated fat and cancer, highly influence by negative media and the misunderstanding from WHO classifications. Opportunities are in showing meat as a real food, and telling this via influencers, not industry or levy bodies, which are seen as distrustful by consumers.

Environment – It’s critical to change the conversation from carbon emissions to a broader discussion of biodiversity and ecosystem function, and how livestock can be a huge benefit. There are also opportunities to show the many other valuable products coming from the animal and to tell the soil carbon story. However, because there are so many aspects to the environmental discussion surrounding livestock, consumers may feel confused and overwhelmed, so some felt focusing on just a few key ideas may be more helpful than addressing all (land use, water, resources, emissions, etc.)

Society, Economics and Ethics – Much of this discussion focused on the upcoming release of cell meat, soon to hit the US market and anticipated to be a massive disruption. People want to eat meat, but they do not want animals to suffer, and lab meat could easily seem to solve this dilemma.

In conclusion, we discussed how the messenger of the information surrounding meat is critical and how consumers are making emotional decisions which are not easily swayed with science.

The World Butcher’s Challenge

I was so impressed with the high production value, the passion of the contestants, and the vigorous cheering of the crowd at the World Butcher’s Challenge.

It was fun to see the US Food Network celebrity Tyler Florence walking the floor, in addition to Lance Pekus, a.k.a “The Ninja Cowboy” and of course, Jess Pryles, a.k.a. “Hardcore Carnivore” as the beautiful and engaging emcee.

The creativity that each country put forward was fascinating. I saw so many innovative uses of the animal, from laced fat carefully placed over lambchops on the Wales team, to blinking martini dishes filled with beef tartare on Italy’s display.

There’s no doubt that everyone involved enjoyed themselves and I’m certain this event will only grow in numbers and in media attention in the future.

It’s critical we elevate butchers to the level of celebrity chefs, which will certainly encourage more young people to join the profession and give new credibility to the craft.

Diana Rodgers, RD