Terminator hired to curb China’s pork consumption
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood actor known from the Terminator movies, shall be starring in a new video aimed at the Chinese people, in an attempt to reduce the country’s meat consumption.
Apart from Schwarzenegger, also Terminator director James Cameron and Chinese actress Li Bingbing have been enlisted to help promote the campaign which was set up by the Chinese government to curb meat consumption by 50% – of which pork is taking a large share. The action is spearheaded by WildAid, an American-based environmental organisation.
Health benefits
Cameron, known as being vegan, said he felt tempted to perform after having looked into the mirror, he explains in a WildAid behind-the-scenes video. Schwarzenegger speaks of the health benefits after having cut his meat and dairy consumption. “I’m slowly getting off meat,” he says, “and I tell you: I feel fantastic.”
The video, which is part of a wider strategy including billboards and a Web campaign, shows the actor walking through a damaged landscape which allegedly is destroyed partly by carbon emissions due to animal production.
Schwarzenegger, who is very popular in China, says, “If they tell you to eat more meat to be strong – don’t buy it.”
“Less meat, less heat, more life,” is the tagline of the film.
Chinese Food Guide Pagoda
The video is in accordance with a nutrition advice, the Chinese Food Guide Pagoda, in which meat is not taking top priority either. Water, cereals, tubers and legumes are being considered important, just as vegetables and fruits. Amounts of roughly 40-75 g/day of meat would have to be sufficient.
Meat consumption in China has grown sixfold since 1978. Especially pork has been a popular meat in China.
Join 18,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the pigsector, three times a week.
