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A boy in a cowboy hat sings about the cow’s flatulence in a new Burger King commercial
The fast food chain Burger King has released an announcement that encourages American farmers to change the diet of cows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The controversial video ad shows children in cowboy hats singing about the impact methane gas emitted from cow flatulence has on global warming.
Burger King claims that adding lemongrass to cows’ diets could facilitate digestion and dramatically reduce methane emissions.
But farm leaders say the announcement is “patronizing and hypocritical.”
The ad has been trending on YouTube. So far, he’s been viewed by more than 2 million people and has received thousands of comments, some mocking the company’s “shy boy” marketing gambit, and others vowing to cut ties to the chain.
Some scientists also criticized Burger King’s message and his focus on cow flatulence, rather than burping.
Professor Frank Mitloehner of the University of California Davis (UC Davis) Department of Animal Science wrote on Twitter that it was disappointing to see the company “drop the ball” in promoting a study that was still ongoing and focused on farts , when burping is the biggest problem.
“They are not cow farts,” he wrote. “Almost all of the enteric methane in cattle comes from belching. Suggesting otherwise turns this serious climate issue into a joke.”
The National Livestock Cattlemen’s Association, a pressure group, also spoke about the burping problem, saying Burger King was trying to “earn easy points with consumers by launching a misleading public relations campaign.”
Burger King said he wanted “to shed light on an issue that is important to business and industry” and defended the effort, saying he had provided data on a possible solution.
“[The campaign] The ‘Cow Menu’ is not something that solves the problem of climate change in the short term, but it is a scalable finding that may allow for change in the future, “the fast food chain said in a statement.
“Most of the conversation about this announcement has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Focus on climate change.
The ad was released as part of an ad from Burger King’s owner, Restaurant Brands International (RBI).
Burger King has been under pressure for the past year as consumers seek to further reduce their meat consumption due to concerns about their health and the climate impact.
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The fast food chain said it had been trying to find “scalable solutions to address the climate impact” of the food it produces.
Working together with scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and UC Davis to develop a new diet for cattle, RBI said the research showed that feeding cows with 100 g of dried lemongrass for three to four months was able to reduce methane emissions by up to 33% on average.
Diet burgers made with cows will be available at Burger King restaurants in select cities in the United States this month.
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Livestock and influential Michelle Miller, who passes through Farm Babe on social media, called on her followers to boycott the fast-food chain.
“Why are you discouraging me?” she asked. “If it weren’t for people like me, you wouldn’t even have a company.”
UC Davis professor Ermias Kebreab, who has been involved in lemongrass research, told the BBC that the results so far have been promising, but the study is still ongoing.
He said he was surprised by the tone of the video and worried that it would alienate farmers.
“The scientific basis of the study is actually solid, but the accompanying video is the reason why many people, especially in the farming community, were not happy,” he said.
“They’re just using some cliché connotations from farming to get clickbait.”
Livestock accounts for about 14.5% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and livestock accounts for the bulk, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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Livestock farming accounts for approximately 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Miller said farmers are committed to doing their part to reduce emissions, but that cattle are being used as a scapegoat for bigger problems.
She criticized the gas masks the children wore in the video as a way to “flaunt fear.”
He added that for a company whose business is selling hamburgers, the concerns seemed out of the question.
“That is very hypocritical,” he said. “If you really care about the planet, why don’t you focus on reducing food waste, why don’t you focus on reducing plastics, and how about all the cars you drive?”
Miller said the company should focus on promoting research in other ways and removing the video.
“They act like we’re a bunch of fools and they don’t appreciate what we do,” he said. Trust us, don’t look down on us.
