The Slanted Truth

Each month at work I receive 3 or 4 Event magazines. Some of these have really great ideas and information in them, and others have a very slanted angle of what they want their reader to hear. Typical of any kind of publication. The common theme through all of them is the "greening" of events.

In my latest issue of The Planner, there was a article on Reducing you Carbon "foodprint" The article was filled with statistics that really bothered me. They were extremely one sided and but the agriculture industry in a very poor light.

Below are some of the stats that were included:

• The livestock sector is a major player, responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is a higher share then transport

• If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains for example the carbon dioxide savings would equal the same as taking more then half a million cars of the US roads.

• Canadians eat more then twice as much meat as the global average.

To me the first statement is extremely one sided. Without the livestock sector, there would be millions of people who could not get their necessary food requirements let alone eat a balanced diet.

As to the other two statements, it is statements like those that make the agriculture industry as difficult as it is. The work that producers and producers associations do is so damaged by these statements.

In every event that I plan I make sure that beef is served 2-3 times, and that there is meat at each meal. It is something that I believe in and will continue to as long as I am planning events!