Community
Print
A farmer in Australia is fuming after an article in the health and beauty magazine Coles hailed the financial and environmental benefits of eating less meat.
Beef farmer Adam Coffey accused Coles of making ‘a wild statement’ and stressed the importance of including ‘facts backed by science’ via social media.
‘Vegan agenda’
Coles promoted a meat-reduced diet in an article.
The magazine stated: “Not only is eating less meat good for the environment – and your budget – but it can also have a positive impact on your health.”
The piece pointed readers to trying vegetarian meals ‘a couple of times a week’, by including ingredients such as sweet potatoes and lentils.
Writing from his Twitter account, Adam tagged the magazine and asked: “Hey Coles would you care to reference your statement regarding meat & the environment and/or let us know who is driving your vegan agenda?”
Animal agriculture
In another tweet, he added: “Keen to know why their magazine is full of plant-based, dairy-free, meat-free, vegan recipes when the bulk of the population enjoy a balanced, unrestricted diet.”
He also argued that red meat is ‘good’ for human health, and that cows are ‘good for the environment’.
However, multiple studies directly link eating red meat to increased chances of developing cancer. In addition, a wealth of studies have linked animal agriculture with producing high percentages of greenhouse gases.
When the bushfires raged through the country in 2019, vegan advocates around the globe called on more people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle to reduce their impact on the environment.
Angry farmers
Adam is not the first farmer riled by pro-plant-based messages. Members of The National Farmers Union branded a documentary as an ‘attack’ on their livelihoods.
However, attitudes are changing and more farmers are transitioning to favor plant-based farming. Some are even forming animal sanctuaries and going vegan themselves instead.
Reducing meat is also in line with a steady rise across Australia. Roy Morgan, an Australian Market Research Company reported in 2019 that 2.5 million Australians ate a mainly vegetarian diet.
