Cornwall City Council vows to serve meat and dairy at the event to fight back against vegan authorities
A BACKLASH against vegan food was sparked yesterday by a council promising to ensure that meat is served at council events.
Cornwall City Council voted in favor of the ‘landmark’ motion, which runs counter to decisions by Edinburgh and Oxfordshire councils to stop serving meat at council events.
In what is believed to be the first motion of its kind, the council said it would provide meat and dairy products.
The motion will ensure that the council is committed to local farmers by proactively sourcing local, seasonal produce – explicitly including meat and dairy – at municipal events, while encouraging residents to “shop local” and urging them to benefit from “home-grown, affordable, nutritious foods, both plant-based and meat-based.”
The move comes in light of several motions passed by other councils across the country encouraging residents to buy “plant-based” products instead of meat and dairy, while also committing to buying only vegan options for councilors at events.
Cornwall Council sparked a backlash against the plant-based menu offered to schoolchildren by other local authorities after it promised to keep meat and dairy products on the table. Pictured is an example of some of the vegan food offered to children elsewhere
In what is believed to be the first motion of its kind, Cornwall Council said it would provide for meat and dairy products. The town hall is pictured
Cornwall City Council voted in favor of the ‘landmark’ motion, which runs counter to decisions by Edinburgh and Oxfordshire councils to stop serving meat at council events. Pictured is the base of Oxfordshire County Council
Pictured is an example of some of the ‘plant-based’ foods schoolchildren have been given following council decisions in the UK
The motion, tabled almost unanimously by Conservative Councilor Nick Craker, recognizes the “enormous contribution of [our] local farmers for the economy of Cornwall and its rural communities’.
In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council sparked outrage among farmers including Jeremy Clarkson when it passed a motion to ban meat and dairy at its events.
At the time, the council justified the policy by saying it was “in the interest of the health of our planet and the health of our people.”
Mr Craker said: ‘Livestock, dairy in particular, is the largest part of the manufacturing sector, but we also have a large – and growing – commercial horticultural sector.
‘A small minority of councils across the country, such as Oxfordshire, have voted to abolish meat and dairy products [at council events]. I can’t imagine how much damage Cornwall would do. Supporting all our farmers and growers is essential to our economy here in Cornwall.’
He added: ‘Let’s make sure our residents know how to buy local dairy and how to cook good local meat. I ask Members today to support farmers and food producers in Cornwall. It’s good for the economy, it’s essential for the environment and it’s crucial to keep putting food on all our tables: meat, dairy and plant-based.’
Three councils, Edinburgh City Council, Norwich City Council and Haywards Heath Town Council in Sussex, have also signed the ‘Plant-Based Treaty’, which calls for a halt to the construction of future livestock farms and promotes plant-based food. in schools and hospitals. It also includes a pledge to promote vegan foods over animal products.
Pictured is an example of some of the plant-based diets schoolchildren received after municipalities vowed to cut meat and dairy products from their menus
Edinburgh City Council signed the ‘Plant-Based Treaty’, which calls for the construction of future livestock farms to be halted and encourages plant-based food in schools and hospitals. The town hall is pictured
Norwich City Council is another authority supporting the vegan menu (council headquarters pictured)
The move comes in light of several motions passed by other councils across the country encouraging residents to buy “plant-based” products instead of meat and dairy. Pictured is Haywards Heath Town Council in Sussex, another plant based menu council
The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government, is not in favor of veganism in the UK, but recommends that everyone in the UK cut their meat and dairy consumption by 20 per cent and 35 per cent by 2050.
Enfield Borough Council has also removed meat from its catering service menu in 2020, while Cambridge City Council will move to fully plant-based catering for council meetings by 2026 and promote vegan food options at public and external events.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance, said: ‘This is a great victory for our farmers, the countryside and common sense. Buying and sourcing local, seasonal produce to reduce mileage is the way forward, not imposing draconian and divisive bans on meat and dairy. This vote is the start of a much-needed battle against those who, through their anti-livestock agenda, risk turning our countryside into a moribund wasteland.”
Welsh hill farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, a social media star, said: ‘It’s amazing [today] from Cornwall. The council voted and supported farmers. British farmers. Seasonal, regional dishes. And you know what, I think every council in the UK should follow suit. Don’t try to be like this “super cool” plant-based, we’re going to save the planet type.’
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