An Alberta-based researcher says the beef industry needs to do a better job of communicating with the public.

Counteracting a movement they call "Eat something other than beef" is one of the topics at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference taking place this week in Calgary.

Tim McAllister, a research scientist with Agriculture Canada, says there's a growing anti-beef sentiment.

"I'd like to say those people are absolutely 100 per cent full of crap," McAllister said during his speech at the conference. "But the truth is, they're not."

"If we don't evolve with the way the consumers are coming … the level of education they're achieving, this industry will suffer," he said.

Emissions from belching cows

McAllister also talked about the increased emissions associated with cows belching methane, which accounts for 55 per cent of the total greenhouse gases produced by beef production in the country.

"Because cattle are utilizing forage-based feeds, the efficiency of digestion of that is not as high as within poultry or swine, and so as a result there are more emissions per kilogram."

According to McAllister, emissions produced by the beef industry are down 15 per cent over the last 30 years, but he said that trend has to continue.

Changing minds

Nanton-based ranch hand Malcolm MacLean says a conversation with a friend opened his eyes to the perception some have of the beef industry.

Malcolm MacLean said improved marketing would help the beef industry. (Andrew Brown/CBC)

"She's a vegetarian, and I said, 'How come?'" MacLean said. "And she said, 'All cattle in the industry are treated just horribly.' I said, 'I don't think so, I work for outfits and we treat our cattle good."

MacLean said better industry-wide marketing could help dispel such negative perceptions.