Countryside uproar at council's anti-meat message

Agriculture In The UK

An English council is encouraging people to cut down on milk and meat consumption (Image: Getty)

A Liberal Democrat council has outraged champions of the countryside by encouraging people to stop eating beef and drinking milk.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s magazine urges people to turn away from meat for the sake of the planet and its population.

It encourages readers to cut their beef intake by a quarter and “try meat-free Mondays or vegetarian lunches as a starting point”.

In a section entitled “no moo-re beef” it claims that if people in richer parts of the world cut down on “animal-based foods” this could potentially enable “the world to feed 10 billion people by 2050 without agriculture further expanding into forests”.

It adds that “reducing your beef intake is one of the biggest things you can do to reduce carbon emissions”.

People are also urged to change their drinking habits in a section called “stop milking it”.

Readers are encouraged to switch to “plant-based milk” to reduce their contribution towards climate change.

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The Countryside Alliance is appalled that council resources are being used to discourage people from consuming staples of Britain’s farming industry.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs for the alliance, said: “Local councils should not be telling people what they can and can’t eat. Meat and dairy produced in this country is vastly sustainable and it is incredibly disappointing to see a council regurgitate lazy tropes about UK livestock farming.

“Tunbridge Wells Borough Council should apologise for not promoting the benefits of buying British beef and dairy produce and remove these demands from their magazine. The council should champion local farmers and freedom of choice instead.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “Ninety percent of the Tunbridge Wells borough is rural and the council is very aware of the importance of farming both to the local and the national economy. It is not our place to tell people what they can and cannot eat.

“Our most recent magazine included information about sustainability and the steps the council is taking to reduce its emissions along with actions people could consider taking if this was something they wished to do too.”

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Moves away from meat by local councils is a key concern for the Countryside Alliance

From the end of the month, Nottingham City Council will serve only plant-based food and drink at internal meetings.

The campaign group Plant-Based Councils states on its website: “With every council that makes a plant-based transition, the need for a plant-based food system is further legitimised and becomes better understood.”

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