Plant-Based Councils [1] campaigners say they’re pleased that Shrewsbury Town Council passed a plant based motion yesterday [30/9/24] , but are disappointed the council isn’t showing more leadership.
The council passed an amended version of the motion submitted by Councillor Chris Lemon (Greens) calling on Shrewsbury Town Council to go ‘plant based by default’ in all its internal catering and reach out to residents to encourage them to shift towards more plant based meals, in line with the government’s science advisors’ recommendations that we all need to eat less meat and dairy to combat the climate and nature emergency. [2]
The original motion called on the town council to change its events catering to ‘plant-based by default’ while using locally-sourced produce where possible. [3] Anyone attending the council’s catered events who wanted to eat meat and dairy could still request it.
During a wide-ranging and passionate debate, the original motion was amended to say that the council would provide plant-based options at its events and open up a dialogue with residents about the impact of meat and dairy products on the environment after the Labour group proposed an amendment. The amendment was criticised by Green councillors Chris Lemon and Julian Dean.
Councillor Chris Lemon, who put forward the original motion, says:
"In 2019 the town council declared a climate emergency and pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of everything we do, including our internal catering. Eating animal products, especially beef, has a higher carbon footprint than a plant-based diet and impacts directly on nature through deforestation. The motion asked councillors to make a very small change to our internal catering, shifting the default from meat and dairy to plant-based at the limited number of events where the council provides food.
Either councillors don’t understand the science, or they don’t have the courage to act on it. Greens know that tackling the climate and nature crisis involves changing how we do things while supporting key stakeholders like food producers. The new Green MP in North Herefordshire, Ellie Chowns, has been working closely with the farmers in her constituency and showing what can be done. Shrewsbury Town Council missed a real opportunity here to lead the way on this."
Campaigner Christopher James, who was present at the meeting, says:
"I was pleased to see Shrewsbury Town Council recognise that eating a diet that contains more plants can be better for our health, animals, the planet, and our pockets. However, it was really disappointing to see that the original motion was watered down by Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors. It seems that the vast majority of our local politicians do not understand the scale and severity of the climate and nature crisis.
When given the chance to show leadership on the issue, or eat a ham sandwich once a year at council events, they chose the sandwich. It’s particularly disappointing given the impact of livestock farming – including intensive poultry units – on the River Severn. With over 20 million chickens in Shropshire, it’s clear that a meat and dairy heavy diet is having a disastrous impact on our precious river."
The Plant Based Councils campaign continues across the UK with eleven councils joining Shrewsbury in passing plant-based motions. Nottingham City Council recently led by example by committing to 100% plant-based meetings. [4] Campaigners in Shrewsbury say they will now push the council to talk to residents about the need to shift to more plant-based eating.
ENDS.
For more information or further comments, please contact press@plantbasedcouncils.org
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