National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has come out swinging against an organization that is petitioning the Federal Trade Commission and USDA to stop NCBA from placing what it calls deceptive advertisements “that downplay the beef industry’s role in the climate crisis.”

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is petitioning FTC to “permanently prohibit NCBA from disseminating, or causing the dissemination of, any advertisement claiming that beef is an environmentally sustainable food.”

At issue is the “Beefing Up Sustainability” campaign developed by NCBA as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. Part of the campaign included advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.

The campaign was developed to share the beef industry’s science-based sustainability story and connect consumers with facts about how their beef is raised, NCBA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Physicians Committee said NCBA’s advertisement incorrectly states “eliminating beef is not a realistic or impactful solution for climate change.”

The petition cites research from the World Health Organization stating “reducing livestock herds would also reduce emissions of methane, which is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.”

“NCBA’s advertisement is contrary to abundant scientific evidence and deceptive on its face,” the petition said.

The Physicians Committee also sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to “replace these deceptive advertisements with helpful notices that promote replacing animal products for plant-based diets to improve both climate and human health.”

NCBA said its campaign reached millions of consumers and inspired curious readers to learn more and, unsurprisingly, led to mudslinging from animal activist groups.

The Physicians Committee masquerades as medical authorities, despite the fact that fewer than 10% of its members are physicians, NCBA said.

On its website, the committee claims to have 175,000 members, 17,000 of whom are doctors.

“PCRM, which acts as a front for animal rights extremists, has zero expertise in sustainability. Their sole aim is to peddle plant-based diets. More than that, PCRM has been linked with PETA and even with groups that the FBI has designated as domestic terrorists,” NCBA said.

“The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research,” the committee’s website says.

“PCRM’s questionable reputation aside, the facts and science are on beef’s side,” NCBA said.

Beef cattle account for 2% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA. And according to USDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the U.S. has produced the most sustainable beef in the world for decades and has reduced emissions per pound of beef by 40% since the 1960s, NCBA said.

The Physicians Committee’s attack “conflates global data with U.S. numbers and ignores the growing body of evidence that beef is not only an important part of a sustainable food system in the U.S., but also nourishes the land it’s raised on through carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat preservation and more,” NCBA said.

The Physicians Committee’s critiques are not only baseless and inaccurate but also try to scare media from sharing important stories and suppress information that consumers deserve to know, NCBA said.

“NCBA stands by this campaign and will not be silenced by animal extremists who pretend to be doctors,” it stated.