Page 83 - Hereford Magazine 2021

Delegates from around the world attended a meeting of the World Hereford Council, where Larry Feeney from Ireland became the new
secretary general.

You don’t have to like them … you’re just spending time
talking to other people to get different views, because that’s
how we grow. If we don’t evolve, we dissolve.”
She says at the end of the day, if alternative proteins
support people eating, who don’t have food, that is fantastic.
“If that puts our beautiful meat that we’re producing, using
the finest genetics that you can, into much better hands, or
into a space where it’s really valued for what you do, then
that’s fantastic. They can have the commodity market; we’ll
take the good stuff.”
Another guest speaker was outspoken soil scientist, agri-
environmental analyst and commentator, Jacqueline Rowarth. Conference MC, NZ Herefords council member Robert Peacock.
“One of our problems is that people regard celebrities as
having more credibility than scientists,” she said. She shook
her head at conspiracy theorists asking why people should
believe farmers, when farmers have a vested interest in people
eating beef. Listen to the science … we know not to trust
media, so why do we go on doing it?”
She said evidence should not be turned into emotion. “The
data being turned into diatribe and people saying we have
to take everybody’s thoughts into account, whether or not
they’re actually informed. Then of course we get fake news,
and the Twittersphere then echoes all the news, so someone
says ‘I’ve seen it 30,000 times, it must be true’.”
Instead of trying to reduce our greenhouse gas impact without The title of Julia Jones’ presentation was ‘Stand up and be counted’.
compromising production, the debate needs to be switched
to producing highly accessible protein. She said the biggest account manager livestock David Dodge. “We were completely
thing people wanted was for food to taste good, but what global blown away by the way the conference was run,” David says.
consumers would pay more for was high quality safety standards. “There may well have been some anxious moments going on in
“Superior, functional performance, that’s your grass-based meats, the background with the organising committee to do with you-
organic, all-natural ingredients, that’s pretty much pastoral know-what, but the greater number of delegates attending would
agriculture; sustainable materials, well,” she shrugged, “that’s not have even noticed. I have attended a number of international
pasture. They’ll pay for it. How do we get the marketing right?” conferences over the years and this was right up there.
On the final day of the official conference programme, “Top marks to the organising committee and of course top
visitors travelled to the Wanaka A&P Show to support the marks to the youth teams, what a great time we had with them
Allflex Young Breeders Competition, watch the cattle judging, over the eight days; the Upper Clutha show will never be the
and enjoy the many attractions and shopping opportunities same. We here at Boehringer Ingelheim enjoy and appreciate
the show had to offer. your continued support.”
The Boehringer Ingelheim team that attended the conference
included head of animal health in New Zealand, Steve Rochester, The next World Hereford Conference will be in Kansas,
senior product manager livestock Paul Fitzpatrick, and strategic USA, in 2024.

Year 2021 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 81
World Hereford
Conference 2020
Queenstown NZ