Devon, like my home county Norfolk, is primarily a farming county, known country-wide for their award-winning grains and vegetables, as well as contributing a large number of livestock to the meat industry. Many of my family members work or have worked in the farming industry, and even though I am a vegetarian who enjoys oat milk with her coffee, I understand that not everyone wants to have a meat-free diet, and a plant-based diet may also not be accessible to everyone for several reasons. Plant-based living can be costly, and many farmers rely on their livestock to make a living. My family wouldn’t be where they are without the farming industry, and though I made the choice six years ago to go meat-free, I respect my family for not wanting to join me, as they battle climate-change in other ways, by buying second-hand clothes and taking public transport.
A plan was proposed by the North Devon council to go meat-free, which, if voted a success, would have seen North Devon become the newest of eight councils across the UK to help slow climate change and serve plant-power. Though the state of the climate, and goodwill, is at the forefront of the argument, discourse and divide derived from the exclusion of the councillors who also work as farmers from the vote, despite the vote directly affecting them more than anyone else. Thus, a seemingly innocent plan to decrease the meat consumption across Devon has become an issue of democracy and freedom of choice. A vast amount of meat produced in and around Devon is sustainable and produced as ethically as it can be. Only offering a plant-based diet, though with the climate in mind, could be as limiting as only offering a meat-based diet.
Only offering a plant-based diet, though with the climate in mind, could be as limiting as only offering a meat-based diet.
A way to counter concerns was outlined by the director of the Countryside Alliance, Mo Metcalf-Fisher. His plan would ensure that all produce is available to everyone, whether this be vegetarian and vegan options, or sustainably sourced meat, and this produce would be locally sourced, decreasing the ‘farm to folk’ milage.
In an ideal world, I would love everyone to be plant-based. However, I understand this is not an option for everyone, and if moving toward a plant-based world, it should be done slowly and with the right education and a variety of options. By offering local produce to meat eaters, carbon dioxide emissions would decrease with the food travelling less miles, and farmers would be able to have comfort and security in their jobs. Additionally, both meat, and meat alternatives, should be offered across the county, and certain meat-free days, such as ‘meat-free Monday’ adopted by many households across the UK, could be instilled to decrease meat consumption and be kinder to the earth, without taking away freedom of choice.
