Council’s vegan decision a ‘kick in the teeth’ for farmers

Oxfordshire County Council has chosen to ban meat, dairy and eggs from council-catered events and is pressing ahead with plans to include more plant-based options for the school meals it provides.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (15 March), the local authority confirmed that food served to county councillors from now on will be plant-based, with a “priority on local sourcing”.

See also: Farmers rally against Oxfordshire council meat and dairy ban

In addition, Oxfordshire schools that are supplied lunches by the county council will have to make a plant-based meal the only option, one day a week for a trial period.

The council, which provides school meals to about 14% of Oxfordshire schools, will then assess the take up of the option, which will “provide data to inform future plans”.

Councillors had previously discussed school meal services having plant-based menus available as part of their regular offer at least two days a week.

Clarkson’s support

Jeremy Clarkson joined other Oxfordshire farmers outside the council’s headquarters to demonstrate against its decision to serve only plant-based food to county councillors.

“Government at national and local level should be doing whatever it can to help farmers, not hindering them, which is what this seems to be. Where is the choice? Why can’t there be choice?” the TV presenter told Farmers Weekly.

First generation sheep farmer Karl Franklin said he was disappointed by the outcome and said it was a “kick in the teeth” for farmers. The young farmer was given time to make his case to the council cabinet, before it made its final decision.

“We are a rural county and it is such a wrong image to [present to] local people, and the wider picture,” said Mr Franklin. “Local government should be supporting us. We can be carbon neutral; we aim to be, but if they don’t buy into us we can’t get there.

“The council has backtracked a bit and said they will buy locally, but I want to see evidence of that.”

Drivers for change

Oxfordshire County Council said moving towards more plant-based food was driven by the need to tackle climate change, reduce food waste and support healthy eating.

But farmers have questioned the merits of plant-based food if it is sourced thousands of miles away or produced using intensive systems.

Mr Clarkson said: “I read the other day, if you import two avocados from Ecuador, you do more environmental damage than you do by driving a Volkswagen Polo for a year.

“Whereas if you have a lamb chop produced in Woodstock, what environmental damage is being done rearing that grass-fed animal which has kept the grass down?”

Support

Councillor Liz Leffman, the Liberal Democrat leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said support for local farmers was “permanent and will never waver”.

“A consensus has grown in the UK that we need to eat less meat than we do presently,” she said.

“We need to reduce carbon emissions and be more sustainable in food production. Once that is allied to good public health advice that eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables in our diet will improve our overall health, a powerful logic begins to form.

“What we all want is high-quality food, which is sustainably produced and sourced locally wherever possible, so that our food miles are kept to a minimum and our local economy is supported.”