Showcasing Sustainability
Early this year, just returning from the NCBA national convention, I wrote a column about the buzzword of the show, and possibly the year: sustainability.
But then, just a few short weeks later, COVID-19 blew up our world and suddenly nothing was the same. Any and all predictions about what 2020 had in store went out the window.
However, as we creep off the downhill side of one of the wildest years yet, our new normal is becoming, well, normal. The dust seems to be settling while the world anxiously awaits the election – when the news will most certainly be a flurry again.
But in the calm before the storm, one company has utilized the opportunity to key in on what we thought would be the topic of the year, sustainability.
WalMart’s announcement of shifting to a sustainable beef supply by 2025 came at an interesting time — a well-planned time.
Back when things were “normal” at the beginning of the year, the consumer was becoming ever more conscious of the food products they purchased, how they were raised or grown, and how it aligned with their beliefs. With climate change at the forefront of the news, legislation, and even presidential platforms, the consumer began looking to their food choices as a way to make a change. And suddenly, “sustainably made” products included those produced by companies with a plan to reduce their carbon footprint, make the consumer feel better about themselves, and maybe sell for a bit more because of their label.
In comes COVID and the discussion about food production, while entirely shook, became even bigger. The word “sustainability” slipped to the back burner in the greater conversation about our food supply chain when store shelves became bare and the dependency of our nation on several mega corporations became glaringly obvious. Our consumer, who used to make their meat purchase decisions based on labels like “organic” or “grass-fed” was now learning much more about the beef supply chain and how beef production, from farm to fork, really works. The same consumer also had to seek out new sources for meat. This led to a major shift toward more locally sourced beef.
While the term “sustainability” got lost in the COVID-19 conversation, ultimately, the consumer’s concern with our current beef supply chain and its functionality has everything to do with sustainability. And that’s why Walmart’s timing is impeccable.
Our consumer is more involved in the process from pasture to plate than they have ever been before. Through their efforts to source their beef locally, they are connecting with ranchers and local processors and learning that our practices truly are sustainable. A local food system, while perhaps not efficient enough to feed the entire nation, paints a picture-perfect definition of sustainability. Their product travels fewer “food miles” – a new term born of the COVID conversations – it puts more money in the pockets of their neighbors, and they can see the happy cows out grazing the pasture and associate that image, rather than a feedlot, to the product they purchase.
Sustainability has been a tough term for our industry to define. But as the consumer creates a relationship with the producer, perhaps they will see what we have been saying all along – ranching is the definition of sustainability. We are the original stewards of the land, our cattle are of our utmost concern, and the lifestyle is something we cherish and hope to preserve. It’s not a malicious, money-oriented machine as it has been portrayed in the past. And we have the perfect opportunity to showcase that today.
Then, when Walmart is restocked and we have worked to not just define but show our consumer what sustainability means, the consumers will flock to the retailer that can boast a sustainable beef supply. Ultimately, it should keep beef demand high when we need it most. I see it as a win-win.
Our industry can no longer villainize the term sustainability. It isn’t a covert plan to take over our ranches and change our practices. If we are at the forefront of defining and showcasing what sustainability has always meant to our industry, it’s merely a marketing tactic to create a connection to the consumer. If the term can win space in the 2020 headlines, it’s a term worthy of our attention. And we are already there. We are sustainable. We just need to show it.