In late 2020, Danish Crown, the leading pork producer and exporter in Denmark initiated a promotional campaign claiming “pigs are more climate-friendly than you think”. Following challenges and criticism this claim was withdrawn but the company maintains that hogs produced in Denmark are reared according to “climate-controlled (friendly?)” systems.
Three activist groups comprising the Vegetarian Society of Denmark, the Climate Movement and the Green Student Movement have now filed a lawsuit against Danish Crown. Green Peace of Denmark considers that the claims by Danish Crown constitute “greenwashing” despite claims that the Company intends to become the world most sustainable and successful meat producer by 2030. The company also holds that farmers have reduced the carbon footprint of pork produced for Danish Crown by 25 percent since 2005. The claim was based on a study conducted by Aarhus University but has been faulted for not including emissions from land use. There is evidence that previously Danish Crown and industry groups influenced studies conducted by the University of Aarhus.
The lawsuit has the potential to create a playbook for environmental claims opposing livestock producers. The intent of the plaintiffs in the current case is to discourage competitors of Danish Crown from burnishing their respective environmental credentials to maintain consumer acceptance.
It is self-evident that activist groups including those with vegan agendas will play the environmental card having exhausted public sympathy derived from welfare that has a narrower influence among consumers.
The same tactics used in Denmark and other E.U. nations will certainly be adopted by U.S. environmental activists and animal rights organizations.