While it feels like the vegan movement is taking over the world, the reality is far from the truth.
That was the message from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) community engagement manager Jacqueline Baptista at the Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group's annual meeting last week.
Ms Baptista said regional areas received far greater coverage of the subject in the media, but that people were looking for a viable source of truth.
She said producers had a crucial part to play in telling authentic stories.
It needed to be told louder and with a lot more transparency.
"We need to limit any opportunity for people out there for giving people negative imagery," she said.
"We need to make sure people don't have an ethical dilemma [when purchasing] and that they feel good about buying our product.
"You don't have to argue with them, or even agree with them; there is no reason to get angry with them."
The financial incentive was clear, the industry could lose $3.8 billion by 2030 if it did not address ethical concerns, mainly welfare.
"If you do not change your practices you won't be able to sell your product," she said.
"We have to demonstrate and show them there is improvement, people no longer trust what they are told."
Ms Baptista said the public wanted to "believe in better", and the industry needed to engage to the point that the industry was trusted that it was doing the right thing and the public would no longer worry.
She said the industry came out of the activism of April looking really good.
"Because we sat quietly, patiently, respectfully while the activist movement all over the country annoyed the politicians, community, regulators and key opinion leaders," she said.
"We didn't have to be aggressive, we came out the bigger people and we came out looking like a professional group of people that held our ground, were respectful and had the entire Australian community at our backs.
"That is demonstrating how well it works."
The industry needed to be transparent and open up the doors.
"Be proud of it, on the front foot and not ashamed," she said.
"Just tell your story when you have a chance to, transparently and honestly."
Ms Baptista said for people in metro areas, these issues were just "another thing" on their radar, but not the primary thing.
"People in regional areas are hearing eight times more about veganism and activism than people in metro areas," she said.
She said what had been seen was an increased interest in plant-based diets due to concerns about health, environment and welfare.
She said activism started 30-40 years ago, and at the time, most agricultural industries ignored the movement, thinking it would go away.
"Instead they have become really well funded, really well organised, and we have left them an information vacuum and they have filled that themselves," she said.
"The red meat industry needs to take back some of that vacuum and try to fill it with your reality."
Ms Baptista said the percentage of people who were vegetarians was about 7 per cent, which had been steady in the past four years, and vegans at around 1pc.
"So all the talk and all the media you hear is about such a small sample," she said.
What had happened was a significant rise in "flexitarianism" and general plant-based consumption.
It was also more common for people to identify that their consumption was plant-based.
The industry had to learn from past mistakes.
She said in the past, the industry had not respected people that didn't like our product and certainly didn't respect their beliefs.
"We need to understand that most people's beliefs about animal welfare and the environment were quite sincere and not made from malice," she said.
"We need to understand where they are coming from.
There were absolute radicals at the far end, but the majority of their supporters are quite sincere in their beliefs and to discount them or their beliefs is pretty disrespectful."
She said that was similar to the disrespect when the activists made "outrageous claims" about agriculture.
The industry needed to have a dialogue and remain respectful.
"The general community doesn't want aggression," she said.
Data showed that there was confusion among the community about what vegetarianism meant.
Of the 7.6pc that identified as vegetarians, 42pc ate some animal flesh - fish, chicken or red meat.
Only 17pc, or just 1pc of the community, actually claimed to be vegans.
Ms Baptista said the numbers were really low and had not changed dramatically.