Rewilding and giving over land to let farm animals run free “as nature intended” has been aggressively promoted by some environmentalists, including the influential British writer George Monbiot.

But a case in the Netherlands on a 5,000ha site called Oostvaardersplassen, has given cause for alarm after cattle, horses and deer were subject to mass starvation on a long-term rewilding project.

Protesters have been risking fines to throw bales of hay to animals

Three mild winters meant livestock numbers swelled, and with no natural predators over-grazing was inevitable.

Protesters have been risking fines to throw bales of hay to animals while at the same time protesting against the planned culling of starving animals by Dutch authorities.

The mind boggles.

The Dealer could sit back, point a finger at the environmentalists and say, “I told you so,” but no form of animal suffering is something to gloat about.

Meat sales

Meanwhile, fresh meat sales have dropped by almost €2m in Ireland and Tom Kirwan, managing director of ABP Beef in the UK, has blamed “serious bad press” levelled at the meat industry as part of the 14% drop in UK summer meat consumption.

“That was basically consumers switching,” Kirwan told a government committee in England.

“And we’ve never seen it to the level they switched in 2019. They switched out of beef.”

The issue is that many consumers are now becoming convinced that they don’t

From the ashes of the recent beef crisis, farmers and the industry must now dust themselves off and face their biggest challenge yet: the consumer.

Farmers know that they care about animal welfare.

The issue is that many consumers are now becoming convinced that they don’t.

That vote of no confidence is being executed through the power of the shopping trolley.

In a week where “Go Vegan” billboards have re-emerged along Dublin’s commuter belt, it might be no harm to ask what the beef industry is doing to convince consumers that farmers care about farm animals, in a battle we seem to be losing.

Last week’s launch of Meat and Dairy: the Facts is one step along the road, but many more will be needed.