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A pro-vegan billboard near a farmer’s market in Ireland has won overwhelming support – in a poll run by a farming publication.
The poster features an image of a cow and person and the slogan: “They trust us. We take them from their mothers and butcher them. Go Vegan. #ditchdairy.”
It is part of a widespread campaign by organization Go Vegan World, which has featured the same advert in a number of publications and locations.
‘Disgraceful’
News of the advert was picked up by farming and agribusiness website, That’s Farming – which currently features headlines like Beef Round-up: Maximising herd health and Ostrich Meat: The meat for those with an active lifestyle.
The publication’s original coverage of the advert said: the advert had ‘sparked outrage amongst the agricultural community’.
It added: “The poster has been condemned by locals and we were alerted to the situation by one such local.”
The site ran a poll about the poster, asking readers to answer three questions: Is the sign outside the mart an unfair portrayal of farmers? Should it be removed? Would you sign a petition for its removal?
Majority support
At the time of writing, more than 8,000 people had answered each question on the poll.
93 percent claimed that the advert’s portrayal of farmers is not unfair.
94 percent said they would not sign a petition against it. The same amount said it shouldn’t be removed.
The poll was shared into at least one pro-vegan group – suggesting a number of vegans voted.
ASA
This is not the first time an advert by the vegan organization has courted controversy.
In February, a Go Vegan World full-page ad in the Sunday Telegraph led to seven complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency [ASA].
Complainants – some of whom are reportedly affiliated with the dairy industry – claimed it was ‘inaccurate and misleading’.
But the ASA cleared the advert saying that while ‘the language used to express the claims was emotional and hard-hitting’, the ad was ‘unlikely to materially mislead readers’.
As a result of the poll, That’s Farming editor Kevin Forde said: “Will we see more of these adverts in 2018? It sure seems that way!”
