Social media activates a rise in activism

Over the course of the decade Facebook and Twitter have been used to mobilise activists and share messages - some true, some fabricated - with every day consumers.

A prime example of agriculture and animal rights activism colliding was when footage gathered by activists of live cattle exports to Indonesia appeared on a Four Corners program in 2011.

The program's exposure and campaigning by Lyn White from Animals Australia resulted in the federal government's decision to temporarily ban live exports.

The government stopped all exports to Indonesia and strict animal welfare safeguards were put in place, which many say saved the industry in the long term.

Up until this footage was exposed animal welfare was not a regular news item, and the majority of Australians were not aware of industry practices.

University of Southern Queensland communications lecturer Matt Grant said the power of social media was in many ways like a successful town hall meeting, that could potentially hold millions of audience members.

"It also provides the ability to capture images or vision in isolation and present it in a certain light that is detrimental," he said.

"This technology combined with relatively widespread misunderstanding or ignorance of primary industry practices makes agenda setting easier for motivated groups, and for capital city based news organisations to accept one narrative over another.

"This may take the form of a news report that more heavily features video provided by an activist group over an industry response."

The beef industry wasn't the only target; illegal raids by activists at pork and poultry facilities became more frequent.

Southern Queensland lot feeder David McNamee, Lemontree Feedlot, learned first hand what it is like when more than 100 activists invaded his property in 2019.

Mr McNamee said the activists showed no respect and called him, his family and staff, murderers, killers and rapists.

Carey Brothers Abattoir at Yangan was also targeted by 120 animal rights activists, with 20 of them chaining themselves to the kill floor. It was one location in a series of coordinated protests across the nation to mark the one-year anniversary of the animal rights documentary, Dominion.

In April 2019, a Bob Brown led convoy to stop Adani's Carmichael coal mine was greeted with jeers by hundreds of pro-Adani supporters as it rolled into the mining town of Clermont. By July, 500 protesters rallied against the Adani mine approval and marched through Brisbane's CBD in peak hour.

Over the course of the decade, agriculture became more attuned to the desires of consumers and set about creating its own positive noise on social media.