Dale Vince has said that compulsory meat and dairy in schools should be scrapped at the Labour Party Conference
  • Sunshine@lemmy.caOPEnglish
    11·
    13 hours ago

    Vince, who is vegan himself, has repeatedly discussed the importance of moving away from animal products for the good of the planet and human health. He recently slammed animal agriculture in a speech at the Restore Nature Now march in London, saying that farming animals was the “cow in the room” of the climate and nature crises.

    At the Labour Party Conference, he said that he would be speaking to the government about introducing “climate and sustainability” into the school curriculum.

    Vince also stressed that plant-based meals are better for children than animal-based ones. Vegan diets are known to reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Processed red meat, for example, is linked to increased risk of colon cancer, while dairy may cause breast and prostate cancers. “We shouldn’t be forcing these unhealthy products onto our kids,” Vince said.

    • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukEnglish
      25·
      12 hours ago

      He also has a vested interest in this:

      He said that one of his companies, Devil’s Kitchen, supplies vegan food to a quarter of UK primary schools, but that some schools want to “go further.”

      • Naich@lemmings.worldEnglish
        16·
        9 hours ago

        So? The meat industry has a massive lobbying section. Are other industries not allowed a voice? Why is everyone presenting this as a massive “gotcha” when it’s totally normal practice for any other industry?

      • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        12·
        10 hours ago

        Sure, but I don’t think that someone owning a vegan food company makes it a bad argument. It’s pretty absurd that the meat industry gets government protection, to the detriment of numerous other factors.

        • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukEnglish
          3·
          4 hours ago

          At no point did I say it was a bad argument (I think the guidelines should be adjusted to just specify amounts of protein, calcium, fibre, etc), I’m just pointing out that he is not without bias in this debate.

      • Sunshine@lemmy.caOPEnglish
        15·
        12 hours ago

        Yeah so does animal agriculture wanting to have meat and dairy served 3 or more days a week in the schools. Are we really going to ignore the ethics, sustainability and health concerns of animal agriculture just because he has a vested interest in the vegan food market.

        Why not critique animal agriculture’s vested interest in maintaining its £14 billion market value or the ability to keep polluting the rivers.

        • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          12·
          11 hours ago

          ignoring corruption is gross. trying to distract from it with a whataboutism Is some degree worse