Background

Look East LLC is an American public relations firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Look East works extensively with the agribusiness industry¹“KANSAS CITY PR AGENCY CMA RE-NAMED LOOK EAST,” Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, May 3, 2016. Archived May 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8McLL and has positioned itself as a public relations firm that helps agribusinesses maintain their social license to operate with consumers, according to the company’s profile on LinkedIn and client review service website Clutch:

“In today’s food system, the success of your business depends on whether or not consumers and other stakeholders trust you. That’s why we focus on helping your business or organization grow trust, so you can keep your social license and maintain your freedom to operate.”²“Look East,” Clutch. Archived April 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3TlKd

Since 2007, Look East has largely managed the day-to-day operations of the Center for Food Integrity, an organization promoting the agribusiness industry.³“Charlie Arnot,” Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University. Archived April 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/V9vNn

Charlie Arnot founded Look East as CMA Consulting in 2004,⁴“Look East PR promotes Beck and te Plate-Church,” Look East, May 5, 2022. Archived June 25, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vPMnS and is the current company’s CEO and majority owner.⁵“Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.

Relationship with the Center for Food Integrity

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) is a Missouri-based 501(c)(4) organization that shares a mailing address with Look East. 

The Center for Food Integrity describes its purpose as “to build consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system by sharing accurate, balanced information, correcting misinformation, modeling best practices and engaging stakeholders to address issues that are important to consumers.”⁶“Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity,” Internal Revenue Service, 2019. Archived May 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/TaTxg 

CFI has run several ad campaigns promoting the agribusiness industry, including recent campaigns to address consumers’ concerns over the industry’s climate impact. 

The Center for Food Integrity paid Look East over $28 million from 2010 to 2019, the last year for which the organization’s tax filings are available at this writing. According to CFI’s IRS Form 990 filing for 2018, “the day to day management of the organization’s activities is contracted with Look East LLC.”⁷“Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog. 

In its 2018 IRS Form 990 filing, CFI reported that it received $390,844 of “agency funds,” which “consist[ed] of donations received by the Organization that are to be transferred to a beneficiary specified by the donor.  The organization is acting as an intermediary for these funds.” In the filing, the Center for Food Integrity described these funds as a liability and labeled it “East LLC.”

The Canadian arm⁸“Who We Are,” Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. Archived May 12, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Q96bi of CFI, The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, includes members such as Chick-fil-A, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, Egg Farmers of Ontario, Jefo, Merck Animal Health, and the Canadian Cattle Association.⁹“Current Members,” Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. Archived January 29, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/UMO1y

Consumer Trust Survey

Since 2007, Look East has conducted regular surveys on consumer trust in the food system.¹⁰Zeke Jennings. “Sharing the Sustainability Story: What Consumers Want to Know,” Produce Processing, March/April 2021. Archived March 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Y2LX9 This survey is licensed to The Center for Food Integrity.¹¹ “Consumer Trust in the Food System,” CMA Consulting, November 2011. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog. Many of the survey’s sponsors have been checkoff programs, including the Pork Checkoff, the Delaware and Maryland Soybean Boards, the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Michigan Soybean Committee.¹²“Consumer Trust in the Food System,” CMA Consulting, November 2011. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.

Checkoff programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote agricultural commodities like pork and soybeans. Producers pay a portion of their revenues into these public funds,¹³Greg Hanes. “Beef Checkoff: Who’s Who & How It Works,” Perishable News, April 12, 2021. Archived November 27, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Hx8UG which have funded advertising campaigns such as “Pork: the Other White Meat.”

Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply

In 2011, in response to the effects of the “cage-free chicken” movement on the poultry industry, Look East created and ran a campaign through The Center for Food Integrity called the “Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply.”¹⁴ “Case Study: Event Brings the Farm to Influencers,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived February 8, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MmEIJ   Members of the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply included Cargill, McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, and United Egg Producers.¹⁵“About the Coalition for the Sustainable Egg Supply,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL:  https://archive.is/6WvDR

The coalition funded a $6 million joint study by the University of California, Davis and the University of Michigan on how different forms of poultry housing affected laying hens.¹⁶Pat Bailey. “Research coalition to study sustainable chicken housing,” University of California – Davis, May 17, 2011. Archived February 27, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OwRrV Three UC Davis professors, including agriculture professor Frank Mitloehner, contributed to the “Worker Health & Safety” section of this study.¹⁷“Research,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QKFgW   

The results cited by the campaign pointed to “positives and negatives” in cage free vs. battery cage hen housing. The campaign then used food bloggers to spread the message that cages were not bad for hens.¹⁸“Case Study: Event Brings the Farm to Influencers,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived February 8, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MmEIJ

In 2015, the president of the National Coalition of Egg Farmers cited this research to push back against passage of a California ballot measure to increase the size of chicken cages. Ken Klippen told VICE that the new law would not improve the welfare of battery-raised chickens:¹⁹Lauren Rothman. “Do Bigger Chicken Cages Do More Harm Than Good?” Vice, January 6, 2015. Archived November 8, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/BTRrd

 “Back in March, in an initial findings report, scientists from the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) noted that there were more leg and wing breakages from the chickens running into those new enhancements, like a nest box, when they’re frightened—and chickens are easily frightened—and they actually break a leg, or break a wing. So there are two animal welfare components there that have not been presented to the consumers. They’re not aware of them.”

According to CFI’s IRS Form 990 filings, the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply’s members spent $4,832,051 on the coalition from 2012 to 2015. 

Stance on Climate Change 

While Look East advises its clients on how to communicate their sustainability efforts, it has not taken a public position on climate change.²⁰“CASE STUDY: Optimizing Sustainability,” Look East. Archived September 20, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/T5evh

Clients

Form 990s

Key People

Charlie Arnot

Charlie Arnot founded Look East as CMA Consulting in 2004,²¹“Look East PR promotes Beck and te Plate-Church,” Look East, May 5, 2022. Archived June 25, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vPMnS and is the current company’s CEO and majority owner.²² “Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog. 

Arnot cemented his place as the agribusiness industry’s go-to crisis manager when he launched the “Best Food Nation” campaign in 2006, in response to the release of a documentary film based on Eric Schlosser’s 2001 book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.²³“Best Food Nation,” Sourcewatch. Archived April 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/s1KWl 

In 2012, Charlie Arnot spoke to Canadian Poultry Magazine about the value of maintaining a social license to operate, which is what Look East purports to do for its clients:²⁴Jim Knisley. “It’s All About Trust,” Canadian Poultry Magazine, May 16, 2012. Archived October 3rd, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/0gJ8q 

“There is significant economic value in maintaining a social license. If you lose the social license, if people and regulators learn to no longer trust you to do the right thing, the response can be increased regulation that forces you to act responsibly and in the public interest and that inevitably costs more and may make you uncompetitive.”

Roxi Beck

Roxi Beck is the president of Look East, and leads consumer engagement at The Center for Food Integrity.²⁵“Roxi Beck,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived January 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/2MCQq 

Actions

2022

Best Food Facts, a project of the Look East-managed Center for Food Integrity, hosted 10 Gen Z consumer and farmer influencers at a soybean farm in Iowa, as well as a San Antonio cattle ranch,” through its annual “Taste Tour” program.²⁶“BEST FOOD FACTS TASTE TOUR: Gen Z Explores Cattle Ranching and Sustainability,” Best Food Facts. Archived May 3, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/p0Gxb After the cattle ranch tour, the Gen Z influencers posted sponsored TikToks and YouTube videos talking about food production, tagged with the hashtag #foodsustainability.²⁷@Maddison’s Kitchen. “I recently took a trip to San Antonio, TX for the best food facts taste tour [TikTok],” Tik Tok account: maddisonskitchen, October 13, 2022.

The United Soybean Board was a sponsor of the 2022 Taste Tour, along with Best Food Facts.²⁸ “Farmers, Food and Fun on the Menu for the 2022 Taste Tour,” Best Food Facts, 2022. Archived March 16, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Deyqy 

August 28, 2020

The Best Food Facts campaign, which is run by Look East, published an article titled “Can Eating Beef Be Sustainable?”, which compared the environmental impacts of  grain-fed and grass-fed beef: “Both methods of raising beef can be sustainable from the perspective of the environment, animal well-being and farmer livelihood.”²⁹“Sustainability: Can Eating Beef Be Sustainable?” Best Food Facts, August 28, 2020. Archived August 5, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/2TZQR 

December 19, 2019

The Center for Food Integrity announced the results of its annual consumer trust survey. The press release appeared to cast doubt on climate science:³⁰“Climate Change Conversations To Shift Dramatically, Research Shows,” The Center for Food Integrity, December 2019. Archived December 4, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/oqc9D

“Most Americans engaging online about climate change are mired in the debate as to whether it exists.”

The press release went on to mention the “conversation on causes [of climate change]” and stated that according to the survey, “there is no evidence consumers associate or link the consumption of animal protein to climate change.”³¹“Climate Change Conversations To Shift Dramatically, Research Shows,” The Center for Food Integrity, December 2019. Archived December 4, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/oqc9D

Sponsors of the 2019 survey included several food industry trade organizations and checkoff programs: the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Management Inc., the Pork Checkoff, the United Soybean Board, and the Indiana Soybean Alliance.³²“CLIMATE CHANGE CONVERSATIONS TO SHIFT DRAMATICALLY, RESEARCH SHOWS,” The Center for Food Integrity, December 2019. Archived December 4, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/oqc9D

Spring 2016

Charlie Arnot changed the name of CMA Consulting LLC to Look East.³³“KANSAS CITY PR AGENCY CMA RE-NAMED LOOK EAST,” Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, May 3, 2016. Archived May 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8McLL 

May 3, 2016

Look East won a “Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability”  award from the Agricultural Relations Committee for its “Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply” campaign.³⁴“Golden Arc Award Winners 2016,” Agriculture Relations Council, 2016. Archived October 1, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/YBDfN

June 16, 2016

The New York Times prominently featured research released by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply’s research, along with interviews from researchers involved in the campaign in an article discussing how cage-free conditions might not be more humane for egg-laying chickens.³⁵David Gelles. “Eggs that clear the cages, but maybe not the conscience,” The New York Times, June 16, 2016. Archived May 15, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/dJj2C

March 31, 2016

Charlie Arnot gave a presentation at the 2016 Egg Farmers of Ontario annual meeting on how to respond to the trend among food suppliers of committing to supply only cage-free eggs. Arnot’s presentation described an egg supply “choice” campaign targeting retailers, restaurants, online influencers, and interested consumers.³⁶“Egg Farmers of Ontario 51st Annual Meeting Agenda,” Egg Farmers of Ontario, 2016. Archived November 29, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ktGm6 The campaign would be a success, Arnot suggested, if restaurants and food retailers “consider sourcing eggs from a variety of systems.”³⁷Charlie Arnot. “Building Support for Choice in Hen Housing [Presentation],” Egg Farmers of Ontario, 2016. Archived May 16, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog. 

2015 

CMA Consulting created the Best Food Facts campaign for The Center for Food Integrity.⁴⁰“Case Studies: A Taste of Food and Farm,” Look East. Archived February 24, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oWmS3   

The 2015 Best Food Facts campaign also included an event called “Taste Tour 15,” which involved taking agriculture and food bloggers to a corn and soybean farm in Chicago, and a meat processing facility in Arkansas.⁴¹“Case Studies: A Taste of Food and Farm,” Look East. Archived February 24, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oWmS3 CMA Consulting also gathered farm bloggers in Sacramento to discuss pesticide use.⁴²“Case Studies: A Taste of Food and Farm,” Look East. Archived February 24, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oWmS3 

CMA Consulting  described the campaign’s successes as follows on its website:⁴³“Case Studies: A Taste of Food and Farm,” Look East. Archived February 24, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/oWmS3

 “Strong and positive relationships formed between the farm and food bloggers, and the reach of this tour was extremely successful. Ultimately, nearly 500 social mentions with over 5.2 million social media impressions came through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. In the posts written after the TASTE 15 tour, bloggers showcased the impact that was made on their food choices.”

March 2015 

The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply published an overview of the study’s results, and pointed to “positives and negatives” in cage free vs. battery cage hen housing.⁴⁴ “Laying Hen Housing Research Project,” The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply, March 2015. Archived April 22, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iSFR9 The campaign then used food bloggers to spread the message that cages were not bad for hens.⁴⁵“Case Study: Event Brings the Farm to Influencers,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived February 8, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MmEIJ

January 6, 2015

Ken Klippen, president of the National Coalition of Egg Farmers, told VICE that a proposed rule in California to expand chicken cage size would not improve the welfare of battery-raised chickens. Klippen cited research from Look East’s “ Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply”, to justify opposition to the ballot measure:⁴⁶Lauren Rothman. “Do Bigger Chicken Cages Do More Harm Than Good?” Vice, January 6, 2015. Archived November 8, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/BTRrd  

 “Back in March, in an initial findings report, scientists from the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) noted that there were more leg and wing breakages from the chickens running into those new enhancements, like a nest box, when they’re frightened—and chickens are easily frightened—and they actually break a leg, or break a wing. So there are two animal welfare components there that have not been presented to the consumers. They’re not aware of them.”

November 3rd, 2014

In a presentation to the  Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Charlie Arnot explained how industrial agriculture could maintain its social license to operate amid negative media coverage regarding beef production’s role in climate change and deforestation.⁴⁷Charlie Arnot. “Ethics, Values and Science: Finding the Right Mix to Build Trust [Presentation],” Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, November 3rd, 2014. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.

“You can see on a number of different issues where the social license of the beef industry is being threatened, whether it’s the deforestation issues that we’ve talked about this morning – you can talk about those in a lot of different areas, the coverage that you’ve seen with that,” said Arnot during his presentation “Obviously climate change is one of those premier issues that we’ve seen, not just in Brazil but around the world.”⁴⁸Charlie Arnot. “Charlie Arnot – Ethics, Values and Science: Finding the Right Mix to Build Trust

,” Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Truffle Media Youtube account, 2014.

December 25, 2013 

Harvard professor Calestous Juma published a policy brief which advocated for the use of genetically modified organisms,⁴⁹Jessica Pugliese. “Making 2014 the Year for Biotechnology in Africa,” The Brookings Institution, December 25, 2014. Archived December 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/7iu6F one of several published by the Genetic Literacy Project as part of a campaign created by CMA Consulting and funded by Monsanto.⁵⁰“Center for Food Integrity: PR for processed foods, pesticides and GMOs,” U.S. Right to Know, April 26, 2022. Archived March 23, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/uWtEC The policy briefs did not disclose Monsanto’s funding.⁵¹Laura Krantz. “Harvard professor failed to disclose connection,” The Boston Globe, October 1, 2015. Archived October 3, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.is/knN9e 

August 2013

Monsanto hired CMA Consulting to organize a public relations campaign promoting genetically modified organisms (GMOs).⁵²Eric Sachs. “Invitation to Author a Policy Brief in the Series ‘Perspective on Science Matters’ [Email chain],” US Right to Know, August 8, 2013. Archived May 22, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Rwoqc In an August 8th email sent to several prominent professors and scientists, Monsanto’s director of regulatory and scientific affairs requested that the scientists publish policy briefs supporting genetically modified organisms.⁵³Eric Sachs. “Invitation to Author a Policy Brief in the Series ‘Perspective on Science Matters’ [Email chain],” US Right to Know, August 8, 2013. Archived May 22, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Rwoqc Monsanto noted that CMA Consulting would be managing the production and publication of these briefs, because “Monsanto wants the authors to communicate freely without involvement by Monsanto.” A suggested summary of a policy brief was assigned to each scientist on that same email. The nonprofit public health investigations outlet U.S. Right to Know later obtained this email and published it.⁵⁴“Center for Food Integrity: PR for processed foods, pesticides and GMOs,” U.S. Right to Know, April 26, 2022. Archived March 23, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/uWtEC 

May 17, 2011

The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply announced it was funding a joint, $6 million study by the University of California, Davis and the University of Michigan on how different forms of poultry housing affected laying hens.⁵⁵Pat Bailey. “Research coalition to study sustainable chicken housing,” University of California – Davis, May 17, 2011. Archived February 27, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OwRrV Three UC Davis professors, including agriculture professor Frank  Mitloehner, contributed to the “Worker Health & Safety” section of this study.⁵⁶“Research,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QKFgW 

2010

Look East created a campaign called the “Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply,” which was run through the Center for Food Integrity.⁵⁷“Final Research Results Report,” The Coalition for the Sustainable Egg Supply, March 2015. Archived November 12, 2020. Archived copy available at DeSmog. Members of the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply included Cargill, McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, and United Egg Producers.⁵⁸“About the Coalition for the Sustainable Egg Supply,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL:  https://archive.is/6WvDR 

April 29, 2008

The Pew Commission on Industrial Animal Production released its final report. In the report’s preface, Robert P. Martin said that some industrial agriculture groups discouraged scientists from collaborating with the study by threatening to pull funding from their universities.⁵⁹“Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America,” Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, April 29, 2008. Archived December 22, 2018. In an interview with Kansas City newspaper The Pitch, Martin said that the industrial agriculture groups opposing the commission’s recommendations were relying on “Charlie’s playbook,” referring to Charlie Arnot.⁶⁰Peter Rugg. “As Big Ag’s grade-A meat promoter, Charlie Arnot cooks up opposition to industry reform,” The Pitch, April 30, 2009. Archived May 3rd, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/NoKEQ

February 29,  2008

The Pew Commission on Industrial Animal Production held its second congressional briefing to discuss its study of the environmental and health effects of industrial livestock production.⁶¹“Meetings,” Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. Archived February 10, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Dvobb Members of the Pew Commission told Congress that its research showed that industrial agricultural facilities posed significant risks to environmental and human health.⁶²(Press Release). “Expert Panel Highlights Threats to Public Health and Environment from Industrial Animal Agriculture Wastes,” Pew Charitable Trusts, February 29, 2008. Archived June 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/yju2X 

The morning of the briefing, Charlie Arnot released a letter written by him and signed by four academic experts involved in the Pew Commission expressing concern with the study’s process.⁶³Peter Rugg. “As Big Ag’s grade-A meat promoter, Charlie Arnot cooks up opposition to industry reform,” The Pitch, April 30, 2009. Archived May 3rd, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/NoKEQ The letter was distributed to the press by the National Pork Producers Council.⁶⁴Dan Morgan. “A Clash Over Animal Waste,” The Washington Post, March 7, 2008. Archived May 16, 2008. Archived copy available at DeSmog. On March 7, 2008, The Washington Post discussed the letter in an article about internal tensions over the commission’s credibility.⁶⁵Dan Morgan. “A Clash Over Animal Waste,” The Washington Post, March 7, 2008. Archived May 16, 2008. Archived copy available at DeSmog. At the time, Charlie Arnot was working for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, which was organizing the livestock industry’s response to the anticipated findings of the Pew Commission.⁶⁶Peter Rugg. “As Big Ag’s grade-A meat promoter, Charlie Arnot cooks up opposition to industry reform,” The Pitch, April 30, 2009. Archived May 3rd, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/NoKEQ The Animal Agriculture Alliance acknowledged its role in organizing the letter’s publication in an interview with The Washington Post.⁶⁷Dan Morgan. “A Clash Over Animal Waste,” The Washington Post, March 7, 2008. Archived May 16, 2008. Archived copy available at DeSmog.

March 1, 2007

The Center for Food Integrity was formed⁶⁸Jim Knisley. “It’s All About Trust,” Canadian Poultry Magazine, May 16, 2012. Archived October 3rd, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/0gJ8q and its website, www.foodintegrity.com, was registered to Charlie Arnot.⁶⁹“Best Food Nation,” Sourcewatch. Archived April 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/s1KWl Members include the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Cares, Dairy Management Inc., DuPont, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Pork Board, Kroger, Publix, McDonald’s Corporation, Monsanto, Nestle USA, Smithfield Foods, Sysco Corporation, Tyson Foods, United Egg Producers, United Soybean Board, Wegmans, and the World Wildlife Fund.⁷⁰“CFI Members,” Center for Food Integrity, 2015. Archived October 17, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.is/bfLGQ 

May 5, 2006

CMA Consulting applied for a trademark for “Best Food Nation.”⁷¹“Trademark search: 78877390,” United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived March 23, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RZhxO This public relations campaign sought to counter the release of the documentary film “Fast Food Nation,” based on Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.⁷² “Fast Food Nation,” 2006. Dir. Richard Linklater. IMDB. Archived April 3, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/WmK3o  The campaign sought to counter the “Fast Food Nation” message that the fast food industry exploited its workers and relied on unhealthy food processing that contributed to the American obesity epidemic.⁷³“Who We Are,” Best Food Nation. Archived June 18, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Lx7sO 

The Best Food Nation campaign listed major agribusiness trade organizations among its members, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Meat Institute, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and United Egg Producers.⁷⁴“Who We Are,” Best Food Nation. Archived June 18, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Lx7sO

May 3, 2006
The domain name bestfoodnation.com was registered in the name of Charlie Arnot.⁷⁵“Best Food Nation,” Sourcewatch. Archived April 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/s1KWl

Related Organizations

• Center for Food Integrity
• Foundation for Food Integrity

Contact & Address

Look East has the same contact information as the Center for Food Integrity:⁷⁶“CMA LAUNCHES NEW IDENTITY AND WEBSITE, MOVES CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS [Press Release],” CMA, August 11, 2011. Archived May 2nd, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DSHID

2900 NE Brooktree Lane
Suite 200
Gladstone, MO 64119
(816) 880 – 0204

Social Media

• Old website: www.CMAbuildstrust.com
• New website: lookeast.com 
• Facebook: LookEastPR
• Twitter: @LookEastPR
• LinkedIn: Look East

Resources

• 1
  “KANSAS CITY PR AGENCY CMA RE-NAMED LOOK EAST,” Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, May 3, 2016. Archived May 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8McLL
• 2
  “Look East,” Clutch. Archived April 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3TlKd
• 3
  “Charlie Arnot,” Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University. Archived April 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/V9vNn
• 4
  “Look East PR promotes Beck and te Plate-Church,” Look East, May 5, 2022. Archived June 25, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vPMnS
• 5
  “Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.
• 6
  “Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity,” Internal Revenue Service, 2019. Archived May 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/TaTxg
• 7
  “Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.
• 8
  “Who We Are,” Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. Archived May 12, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Q96bi
• 9
  “Current Members,” Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. Archived January 29, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/UMO1y
• 10
  Zeke Jennings. “Sharing the Sustainability Story: What Consumers Want to Know,” Produce Processing, March/April 2021. Archived March 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Y2LX9
• 11
   “Consumer Trust in the Food System,” CMA Consulting, November 2011. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.
• 12
  “Consumer Trust in the Food System,” CMA Consulting, November 2011. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.
• 13
  Greg Hanes. “Beef Checkoff: Who’s Who & How It Works,” Perishable News, April 12, 2021. Archived November 27, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Hx8UG
• 14
   “Case Study: Event Brings the Farm to Influencers,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived February 8, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MmEIJ  
• 15
  “About the Coalition for the Sustainable Egg Supply,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL:  https://archive.is/6WvDR
• 16
  Pat Bailey. “Research coalition to study sustainable chicken housing,” University of California – Davis, May 17, 2011. Archived February 27, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OwRrV
• 17
  “Research,” Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply. Archived October 7, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QKFgW  
• 18
  “Case Study: Event Brings the Farm to Influencers,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived February 8, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MmEIJ
• 19
  Lauren Rothman. “Do Bigger Chicken Cages Do More Harm Than Good?” Vice, January 6, 2015. Archived November 8, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/BTRrd
• 20
  “CASE STUDY: Optimizing Sustainability,” Look East. Archived September 20, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/T5evh
• 21
  “Look East PR promotes Beck and te Plate-Church,” Look East, May 5, 2022. Archived June 25, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vPMnS
• 22
   “Form 990: The Center for Food Integrity Inc [Schedule O],” Internal Revenue Service, 2018. Archived May 2, 2023. Archived copy available at DeSmog.
• 23
  “Best Food Nation,” Sourcewatch. Archived April 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/s1KWl
• 24
  Jim Knisley. “It’s All About Trust,” Canadian Poultry Magazine, May 16, 2012. Archived October 3rd, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/0gJ8q
• 25
  “Roxi Beck,” The Center for Food Integrity. Archived January 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/2MCQq
• 26
  “BEST FOOD FACTS TASTE TOUR: Gen Z Explores Cattle Ranching and Sustainability,” Best Food Facts. Archived May 3, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/p0Gxb
• 27
  @Maddison’s Kitchen. “I recently took a trip to San Antonio, TX for the best food facts taste tour [TikTok],” Tik Tok account: maddisonskitchen, October 13, 2022.
• 28
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