Client: Changing Markets Foundation
Project: Truth, Lies and Culture Wars: Social listening analysis of meat and dairy persuasion narratives
Date: 2023
Ripple Research partnered with Changing Markets Foundation to study dissemination of misinformation surrounding meat, dairy, and animal-centric dietary consumption. For this study, we assembled the largest dataset of its kind, which enables us to analyze the extent and nature of online misinformation in this domain. This dataset serves as a vital tool for researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to better understand and address misinformation related to food systems and consumption patterns.
Why it was important to understand the landscape of misinformation surrounding meat and dairy consumption
In the last couple of years, the Ripple Research team has methodically dissected millions of datapoints of online misinformation spanning myriad sectors. The primary focus of these misleading posts has been to undermine trust in institutions and in science to foment opposition to public health interventions, policy discussions, climate action and much else besides. Navigating this intricate web of misinformation reveals that many of these challenges have become entrenched battlegrounds in the current ideological and culture wars, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, amidst these well-explored fronts, there exists a largely overlooked landscape of misinformation revolving around meat and dairy consumption. This represents a notable blind spot in our comprehension of how ideological and cultural clashes intersect with matters of food production, public health and climate action.
In partnership with the Changing Markets Foundation, Ripple Research spearheaded an in-depth examination focused on the dissemination of misinformation pertaining to meat, dairy, and animal-centric dietary narratives. This collaborative effort led to the creation of the largest dataset of its kind that we've seen. Here, the primary goal of our extensive analysis was to understand the extent, nature, and impact of online misinformation in this domain.
Our investigation coincides with a broader socio-political shift, which sees climate change discussions being hijacked by far-right elements online. This surge in right-wing activity strategically intertwines notions of individual liberty, skepticism towards climate science, and conspiratorial thinking, framing environmental initiatives as overreach and tyranny. Our findings reveal that these narratives now focus on meat, dairy, and animal-based diets, turning them into the newest platforms for ideological warfare. This shift exacerbates online polarization, dilutes the effectiveness of climate action, and turns crucial policy debates into culture wars.
The findings of this research empower stakeholders to implement targeted interventions, formulate evidence-based policies, and fortify communication strategies. Furthermore, this comprehensive study supports public health, business resilience, and societal awareness, fostering a more informed and discerning populace capable of making sustainable dietary choices.
Our approach
Our study analyzed 948,000 misinformation-related posts over a 13-month time period. We’ve applied our advanced narrative and discourse analysis methods, temporal patterns explorations, and misinfluencer identification.
Building on our understanding of the overarching socio-political landscape, our investigation explored the specific ways these far-right narratives are shaping conversations around meat, dairy, and animal-based diets.
Image credits: Changing Markets Foundation
What we discovered
In our examination of misinformation in the meat and dairy industries, we discerned two key narrative frames: the Enhance Frame, which actively promotes the merits of animal-based products, emphasizing their nutritional benefits and cultural significance, and the Disparage Frame, used to challenge alternative diets and discredit scientific research in an effort to weaken opposition to the animal agriculture industry.
Key Narratives
Our detailed analysis of these frames uncovered the core elements of this online ideological warfare. Misinformation surrounding meat and dairy coalesces around seven key narratives:
Healthwashing: Animal-based food products are essential for good health
This strategy involves promoting animal-based food products as crucial for maintaining good health, overstating their health benefits.Greenwashing: Animal-based food products are environmentally friendly
This approach falsely portrays animal-based food products as environmentally sustainable choices while denying the impact of animal agriculture on climate change.Maligning: Competing products are unhealthy
Competing protein products, like plant-based protein and lab-grown meat, are portrayed as unhealthy, highlighting potential risks and questionable production methods.Vilifying: Climate-focused misinformation
Narratives deny climate change and vilify the environmental impacts of competing products, while promoting animal-based products as environmentally superior.Polarising: Culture Wars
Identity and lifestyle choices are targeted, framing veganism and climate-conscious diets as threats to traditional values and identity.Undermining: Science and Research
Efforts aim to discredit scientific research related to climate and nutrition are prominent, aiming to cast doubt on environmental guidelines.Conspiring: The Elite are Planning a “Great Reset”
This narrative suggests a global elite scheme is manipulating food and agriculture policies under the guise of climate action.
Facets of Opposition
Emerging from these narratives are distinct patterns of opposition, each targeting different aspects of climate policy and lifestyle choices:
Policy Opposition: We observed targeted misinformation against specific climate policies, such as the Dutch government's nitrogen policy and NYC Mayor Eric Adams' food-emissions reduction plan. This facet includes narratives that politicize these policies, painting them as overreaching government actions.
Lifestyle Opposition: A significant portion of the misinformation targets individuals adopting climate-friendly lifestyles. The dataset revealed derogatory terms like 'Soyboys', and 'vegan cults' used to ridicule and marginalize individuals choosing plant-based diets. These narratives aim to sow doubt about climate-friendly diets and associate them with weakness or extremism.
Climate Action Opposition: The predominant portion of our dataset highlights skepticism towards widespread climate initiatives. This skepticism often frames these efforts as overreaching maneuvers by global powers such as Bill Gates, the WEF, and the UN, casting doubt on their intentions. It melds climate denial with a deep mistrust of governments and international organizations, portraying environmental policies as threats to individual freedom and national sovereignty.
The implications of this study
Our study's exploration of meat and dairy narratives reveals a new battlefield where far-right elements online are leveraging misinformation to obstruct climate action. In an era where climate action is paramount, these far-right narratives in digital spaces not only distort the debate but also impede progress. They turn crucial policy shifts and lifestyle choices into ideological battlegrounds, diluting effective climate action. Our analysis underscores the critical need for clear, fact-based communication. As we face the escalating impacts of climate change, our findings reinforce the importance of keeping the path to climate action clear and effective, unobstructed by ideological manipulation.