Rural campaigners are calling on Warwickshire County Council to retract its advice for residents to adopt vegan or vegetarian diets.
The council’s online green pledges tool allows residents to commit to a number of environmentally conscious resolutions aimed at addressing climate change.
Included in this are options such as ‘not eat meat two days per week’, ‘adopt a fully vegetarian diet’, and ‘adopt a fully vegan diet’.
The council argues that changing diet "can be achieved through a reduction in the amount of red meat that is eaten or by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet, which are both more sustainable and better for the environment".
Cllr Heather Timms, portfolio holder for environment at the council, said: “I hope to see as many residents as possible embracing these pledges as they give thought to their 2024 new year resolutions.
"We are not only safeguarding our local environment but also contributing to the global movement towards a sustainable future.”
But rural campaigners argue that these claims appear to rely on global statistics about emissions from livestock farming, which ignore the nuances of UK-specific food production.
British meat production, due to the efficiencies of country's farmers, is seen as among the most sustainable in the world.
The Countryside Alliance says that promoting veganism as one of the pledges misleads residents about the environmental impact of meat production.
It also warns that it poses an "attack to British farmers altogether, who work tirelessly to produce nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food for our populace".
Sabina Roberts, a spokeswoman for the alliance, said the council should be using its platform to promote meat, dairy, and vegetable produce from the Midlands.
"The UK agricultural sector is pioneering regenerative farming techniques that reduce emissions and increase biodiversity," she said.
"It is disappointing to see a council ignore these efforts and regurgitate lazy claims."
The group has been leading a ‘rural fightback’, urging councils to commit to supporting farmers and sourcing locally produced meat and dairy at their events rather than banning it.
Dorset, Fenland, Porsmouth, Suffolk, Cornwall, and North Northamptonshire Councils have already voted in favour of the alliance’s motion.
