North Devon Council in Britain votes against vegan menu

North Devon Council in the UK has voted against a Green Party proposal that, if passed, would see the council serve only plant-based foods on its menus, FarmingUK reported on July 19.

The proposal sparked a backlash, with local farmers staging protests. Concerns have also been raised over whether council members working in agriculture will be disenfranchised.

Countryside Alliance members and supporters played a key role in contacting their councillors and asking them to vote against the proposal. Prior to the vote, Countryside Alliance’s external affairs team sent letters to councillors setting out the facts about livestock farming in the UK.

Moe Metcalf-Fisher, the organization’s director of external affairs, said: “I am incredibly pleased to hear that this proposal has been rejected. I would like to thank all the members and supporters of Countryside Alliance who took the time to write to their local councillors, and those local councillors who stood up for our farmers, common sense and freedom of choice.”.

“There is never any justification for banning meat and dairy and I hope the Green Party reflects on its failure last night and decides to support the countryside in the future.”“Metcalf-Fisher concluded.

The Rural Alliance is leading a national campaign calling on councils to abandon mandatory plant-based menus and instead adopt locally sourced menus. Suffolk, Dorset, Wiltshire, Portsmouth and Cornwall are among the leading councils that voted in favour of introducing the policy to challenge the move to a fully plant-based menu.

Source: Rossa Primavera