Rural campaigners have criticised a ‘climate action’ website run by Oxfordshire County Council as it encourages people to ditch meat and dairy in favour of vegan meals.
The website, ‘Climate Action Oxford’, bills itself as a ‘one stop shop for tackling climate change'.
It is endorsed by all local authorities in the county, including Cherwell District Council and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
First among the 24 ‘ideas for practical things that you can do’ listed on the website is a section telling local residents to ‘adopt a plant-based diet’.
In a snub to Oxfordshire’s livestock producers, the website directs users to the Vegan Society, claiming: "With 58% of our food emissions coming from animal products, consider taking the steps to go vegan."
In another section, the website also asks "Why not try going veggie for a month and see how it goes?"
The Countryside Alliance has hit back against the website, arguing that red meat produced in Britain is among the most sustainable in the world.
Cattle and sheep account for just 3.7 percent of UK carbon emissions when the carbon stored in grassland is included.
The rural campaigning organisation is now writing to all district leaders asking them to remove their endorsements.
Tim Bonner, chief executive said: “No council, especially one that allegedly supports our farmers should have anything to do with a website that seeks to undermine their hard work.
"Challenging assumptions about the benefits of some plant-based products and the casual denigration of livestock farming matters because, if they are allowed to go unchallenged, they threaten the sustainability of both the planet and the countryside”.
Other sections of the website call on residents to ‘choose waste-free menstrual products’ while encouraging them to ‘talk about climate change’ with friends and family.
Back in March this year, TV star Jeremy Clarkson led a protest of farmers, enraged by the County Council’s decision to only provide ‘plant-based’ food at council meetings.
