Los Nuevos Mercaderes de la Duda

The report argues that 'Big Meat and Dairy' corporations employ strategies similar to those of the tobacco and fossil fuel industries to avoid environmental accountability. It identifies three primary tactics: distraction through greenwashing and targeting Gen Z; delaying action by promoting voluntary technical solutions over systemic dietary changes; and derailing legislation through political lobbying and 'revolving doors' between industry and government. The analysis covers 22 major corporations across four continents, finding that none meet UN integrity standards for climate goals. Specific case studies highlight how these tactics have weakened the EU's Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy, influenced the US Inflation Reduction Act, and blocked agricultural emission regulations in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, and Italy.

• Major livestock and dairy corporations use a 'playbook' of tactics to avoid climate action, mirroring strategies previously used by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries.
• The industry employs 'distraction' tactics, including greenwashing and social media campaigns targeting Generation Z to present meat and dairy as the healthiest options.
• Corporations use 'delay' tactics by promoting voluntary technical solutions and 'regenerative agriculture' to avoid reducing livestock numbers or shifting toward plant-based diets.
• The report finds a significant lack of integrity in corporate climate goals; of the 22 corporations analyzed, only 15 had climate targets, and none met UN expert standards.
• Industry lobbying has successfully 'derailed' progressive legislation, such as weakening the EU's Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, and ensuring the US Inflation Reduction Act does not require real emission reduction commitments for methane.
• The industry funds specific scientific narratives to downplay the impact of methane, such as arguing it is part of a biogenic cycle or promoting the GWP* metric to make 'climate neutrality' seem easier to achieve.
• There is a massive disparity in public funding and lobbying spend, with animal-based products receiving up to 1,200 times more public funds than alternative proteins in the EU.
• In Italy, the industry used disinformation campaigns, often involving influencers from the US, UK, and Sweden, to support the ban on cultivated meats by linking them to conspiracy theories.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2024). Los Nuevos Mercaderes de la Duda. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mexican-Executive-Summary.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Los Nuevos Mercaderes de la Duda. 2024. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mexican-Executive-Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Los Nuevos Mercaderes de la Duda |date=July 2024 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mexican-Executive-Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2024los, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Los Nuevos Mercaderes de la Duda}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mexican-Executive-Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }