A flood of conspiracy theories, junk science and aggressive pro-meat posts online are undermining a shift to more sustainable food and farming in Europe and North America, according to the largest ever analysis of online meat and dairy-related misinformation. Nearly a million misleading posts attacking ‘soyboys’, Bill Gates, the global elite and others have gained millions of likes, shares or comments in just over a year. The content has been championed by Geert Wilders, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump Junior and other famous faces on the political right, according to the study by Ripple Research, a Swiss registered data analysis firm, commissioned by the non-profit Changing Markets Foundation. Read the full press release here.
This analysis included some compelling aspects, but came at the opening of COP28. There is only so far you can go in coherently blending multiple themes and so, regrettably, the research didn’t gain the coverage it perhaps deserved. It was though picked up by at least 20 outlets, including popular titles Gazetta Wyborcza, SAPO, the Irish Mirror and Greenme.
