On the Twitter platform, the Guardian columnist posted a photo of a package of Silver Fern Farms’ angus beef, circling the Toitū net carbon zero certification with the caption:

“It's as bad as the "clean coal" propaganda a decade ago. False claims, derived from comprehensively messed-up metrics that ignore crucial parameters, used by the industry to mislead the public. Don't let yourself be conned.”

The comment, part of a thread about regenerative farming concepts being used as greenwash, had received 22,100 views by this morning.

"'Holistic ranching' has opened up a whole new frontier: in pseudoscience, greenwash, climate denial and industrial self-justification. It is a deception of the public as grave as any cooked up by the fossil fuel industry,” Monbiot said.

The author, who has collaborated with School Strike founder Greta Thunberg, was a keynote speaker at the New Zealand Environmental Defence Society’s conference via Zoom last week.

In the thread he links to an extract from his recent book Regenesis: feeding the world without devouring the planet, saying “I’ve been prompted to publish it here by a new phase in the cattle lobby’s campaign to persuade us that its products are green.”

“Anyone who cares about science, or the living planet, should resist this tidal wave of bullshit. But far too many people, including some who should know better, are surfing it.”

Silver Fern Farms’ chief sustainability and risk officer, Kate Beddoe, told Carbon News she was surprised that Silver Fern Farms’ Net Carbon Zero Beef product has been associated with greenwashing and the company is “deeply concerned” about the impact of greenwashing on consumers and their trust in producers. “This is why Silver Fern Farms has prioritised science, evidence, independence and authenticity in its product claims.”

Beddoe says that Toitū, New Zealand’s Government-owned environmental assurance body, independently certified the product using international standards for product carbon footprints.

“We have full transparency on what stands behind the claim on our website.” 

The Net Carbon Zero Beef is the culmination of nearly a decade’s work between Silver Fern Farms, Toitū, suppliers from across New Zealand, and experts to deeply understand carbon and ways to manage emissions on-farm, Beddoe says. 

“Silver Fern Farms is incredibly proud to be supplied by farmers who want to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Our farmers are managing their emissions, establishing new areas of vegetation on their farms, regenerating habitats, investing in new technology and working hard to respond to market signals.

“This is at the heart of what good farmers do. These are the farmers, and products, that will be at the forefront of solutions to the climate crisis, and Silver Fern Farms will be backing them all the way,” Beddoe said.

Fonterra called out for greenwash in international report

Last week Fonterra was singled out for greenwash by an international report called ‘Feeding Us Greenwash: An analysis of misleading claims in the food sector.’ 

Fonterra was highlighted in the report as one of fourteen meat and dairy companies from around the globe actively greenwashing their products with false claims of climate-friendly production.

The company’s Simply Milk product line was presented as "New Zealand’s first Carbon Zero milk" - despite achieving a total emissions reduction of only 2.4% per bottle, meaning the majority of emissions were offset elsewhere.