The BBC’s new Veganville documentary is another example of unbalanced and disproportionate reporting of veganism, according to farmers.
The three-part documentary series, which aired on 1 January, looks at a group of vegans in Wales who encourage locals to go meat-free.
The programme sees five activists attempting to convert residents of Merthyr Tydfil, a town surrounded by hills and farmland, to adopt a plant-based diet.
Many of the town's residents depend on livestock farming for employment and nutrition.
Responding to the documentary, NFU Cymru said it is 'frustrating' to see the BBC commission a 'promotional tool representing a tiny minority of people'.
The union also accused the broadcaster for allowing a number of false claims to be aired.
“A number of claims are made during the Veganville series that are false – not least that the best thing a person could do for the environment would be to immediately turn vegan,” NFU Cymru president John Davies said.
The BBC has been accused of being unbalanced as a dairy farmer was featured for just 6 minutes out of a total airtime of over 2 hours and 18 minutes.
NFU Cymru said the footage was 'hardly balanced': “The Veganville series did, conversely, highlight once again that there is a huge amount of public support for red meat and dairy products,” Mr Davies added.
“It is strange, therefore, that the BBC persists with this agenda of providing so much airtime to this issue.”
NFU Cymru has now submitted a letter of complaint to the commissioning editor of the programme.
The BBC is no stranger in attracting criticism from farmers when it comes to food and farming issues.
Industry groups were quick to point out that not all red meat production is the same following the broadcast of its controversial programme ‘Meat: A Threat to our Planet?’ last November.
Farmers were also left angry after the broadcaster allowed an anti-meat message to be given prominent airtime during a recent BBC News' The Briefing segment.
In August, the Ulster Farmers' Union sent a letter of complaint after the broadcaster 'failed to properly reflect' the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The NFU called for an apology from the BBC last June after the presenter Evan Davis suggested that British farmers' animal welfare standards were poor.
