Farmers Protest Plan For 100% Plant-Based Council Menu

A motion for the North Devon District Council to serve exclusively plant-based options at internal meetings and events was voted down after facing backlash from the local farming community. The proposal, pushed by Plant-Based Councils campaigners and local Green Party councilor Ricky Knight, aimed to align with the UK's Net Zero pledges and reduce the council's environmental footprint by using plant-based, locally sourced, and surplus food. However, the primarily rural constituency of North Devon, which includes many individuals involved in animal farming, found the motion controversial.

The motion, if successful, would have made North Devon the eighth council in the UK to adopt an entirely plant-based menu, following cities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Exeter. Despite the acknowledgement of the negative environmental impact of meat and dairy production, the motion was met with criticism from those involved in animal agriculture and pro-hunting lobbyists. Campaigners emphasized the importance of councils taking bold climate leadership and moving towards more sustainable food practices amidst the climate and ecological emergency.