I previously wrote about cattle ranchers being upset with Chipotle and it seems that is a continuing (growing?) problem for the company.

The Cattle Industry’s Viewpoint

Today, in my beef with Chipotle a Kansas State student wrote about why he is no longer going to be a Chipotle customer. You can see the story in the college newspaper that got “beefbites” upset and then his letter to the editor

In a more recent post, beefbites states his point perhaps most succinctly. After talking about how the “Natural, organic and grass-fed beef” niche markets are a boon to beef overall, he summarizes by saying:

The important thing to remember is that these niche-market meats should be promoted as an option while never implying that they are in any way safer or healthier than conventionally-produced beef.

That’s an interesting point about whether they are in any way safer. There was a huge problem in the US last year because some “organic” spinach that was never irradiated had e-coli and was killing people. So, shoppers paying a premium for their “organic irradiation free” spinach were getting food that was less healthy than shoppers who went for the current standard “artificially fertilized and irradiated” spinach. This is a really tricky area to come up with actual statistics. How do you measure the benefit or drawback of organic spinach on a person’s life? Among the million other factors impacting their health, it’s quite difficult.

But the way this reads is that the only thing that matters is getting people to eat more beef. It’s not concern for the consumer, or the environment, or anything else - just that the “ultimate goal is to increase protein consumption”. Well, no. The ultimate goal is a lot of things - like peace on earth and a tasty burrito.

Chipotle’s Viewpoint on Meat

As they make clear from the back of every menu in the store:

We believe in treating all with respect:
the farmers and ranchers, the animals and the land,
and our suppliers who bring it all together for us.

Which of course means, “we’ll listen to everyone and do our best, but in the end we do what we think is best.” They are committed to vegetarian and “natural” foods though we may not know in our lifetimes if those are actually any healthier. I can confirm that the vegetarian (really free-range grass fed) beef that I’m eating in Argentina is enormously better than typical American cattle raised on corn and discarded pieces of other cows.

The Meat Solution: Listen to your Customer

Frankly, I don’t blame Chipotle for what they are doing. Beefbites claims “I came away from the meeting with the realization their persistent attacks on conventional ag were a top down stratagey. Instead of listening to their customers, Chipotle’s CEO is expressing his personal beliefs in the company’s advertising.”

That couldn’t be further from the truth. During the 2nd quarter analyst call and in a presentation at an organic food conference Chipotle has repeatedly shown that their sales go up the more “natural” that their foods get.

This is the consumer talking. Talking with their dollars and they are saying mmmm…me likey natural food.