The fightback against ‘plant-based’ councils begins: Cornwall officials vow that meat and dairy WILL be served at council events in symbolic rejection of vegan-only meal plans by Edinburgh and Oxfordshire authorities
- Cornwall’s ‘landmark’ motion is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK
A BACKLASH against vegan food was sparked yesterday by a council which vowed to ensure meat would be served at council events.
Cornwall Council voted in favour of the ‘landmark’ motion, which flies in the face of decisions by Edinburgh and Oxfordshire councils to stop serving meat at council events.
In what is thought to be the first motion of its kind, the council said it would ensure meat and dairy.
The motion, believed to be the first of its kind, will ensure the council’s commitment to local farmers by proactively sourcing local, seasonal produce- explicitly including meat and dairy- at council events, while encouraging residents to ‘shop locally’ and urging them to take advantage of ‘home-grown, affordable, nutritious food, both plant and meat based’.
The move comes in the face of several motions passed at other councils across the country, which encourage residents to buy ‘plant-based’ produce in a move away from meat and dairy, while also committing to only source vegan options for councillors at events.
Cornwall Council triggered a backlash against the plant-based menu offered by other local authorities to schoolchildren after it vowed to keep meat and dairy on the table. Pictured is an example of some of the vegan-style food offered to children elsewhere
In what is thought to be the first motion of its kind, Cornwall Council said it would ensure meat and dairy. Pictured is the council offices
Cornwall Council voted in favour of the ‘landmark’ motion, which flies in the face of decisions by Edinburgh and Oxfordshire councils to stop serving meat at council events. Pictured is Oxfordshire County Council’s base
Pictured is an example of some of the ‘plant-based’ foods that schoolchildren have been given following decisions by councils in the UK
The motion submitted by Conservative councillor Nick Craker, almost unanimously, recognises the ‘huge contribution made by [our] local farmers to the Cornish economy and its rural communities’.
READ MORE: Fury at vegan school dinners: Campaigners say children ‘need a balanced diet of dairy and meat’ as canteens try to pass off plates of chips, rice, potatoes and baked beans as healthier ‘plant-based’ options
In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council triggered 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 saying it was ‘in the interest of the health of our planet and the health of our people’.
Mr Craker said: ‘Livestock production, especially dairy, is the largest proportion of the production sector, but we also have a large- and growing- commercial horticulture sector as well.’
‘A small minority of councils around the country, like Oxfordshire, have voted to abolish meat and dairy [at council events]. I can’t begin to imagine the damage that would do to Cornwall. Supporting all our farmers and growers is essential for our economy here in Cornwall’, he added.
He added: ‘Let’s ensure our residents know how to source local dairy, how to cook good local meat. I ask members to back Cornwall’s farmers and food producers today. It’s good for the economy, it’s essential for the environment and it’s critical to keep putting food on all of 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 up to the ‘Plant-Based Treaty’, which calls for an end to the construction of any future livestock farm and pushes plant-based food in schools and hospitals. It also includes a pledge to promote vegan food over animal products.
Pictured is an example of some of the plant-based food schoolchildren have been given after councils vowed to ditch meat and dairy from their menus
Edinburgh City Council signed up to the ‘Plant-Based Treaty’, which calls for an end to the construction of any future livestock farm and pushes plant-based food in schools and hospitals. Pictured is the council’s offices
Norwich City Council is another one of the authorities backing the vegan menu (the council’s HQ is pictured)
The move comes in the face of several motions passed at other councils across the country, which encourage residents to buy ‘plant-based’ produce in a move away from meat and dairy, Pictured is Haywards Heath Town Council in Sussex, another plant-based menu council
The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government, does not support the UK going vegan, but does recommend everyone in the UK reduces their meat and dairy consumption by 20 per cent and 35 per cent by 2050.
Enfield Borough Council also removed meat from the menu of its catering service in 2020, while Cambridge City Council will transition to a fully plant-based catering for council meetings by 2026 and promotes vegan food options at civic and external events.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: ‘This is a big victory for our farmers, the countryside and common sense. Buying and sourcing local, seasonal produce to cut down on mileage is the way forward, not imposing draconian and divisive bans on meat and dairy. This vote represents the start of a much-needed fightback against those who, through their anti-livestock farming agendas, risk turning our countryside into a moribund wasteland’
Welsh hill farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, a social media star said: ‘It’s wonderful [today] from Cornwall. The council have been voting and supporting farmers. British farmers. Seasonal, regional food. And do you know what, I think that every single council in the UK should follow track. Not try and be like these ‘super cool’ plant-based, we’re going to save to planet, types.’
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