Local campaigner Brian Garman and Green Councillor Ricky Knight doing some public outreach in Barnstaple ahead of the debate
On 17/07/24, a motion will be debated at the Full Council of North Devon District Council that outlines the council switching to 100% plant-based catering for all internal meetings and events [1].
The motion has been put forward by Green Councillor Ricky Knight, Lead Member for Climate and Biodiversity, after lobbying from the Plant-Based Councils campaign [2].
The farmers serving on the council will likely be told to abstain from voting due to having a pecuniary interest in the subject matter.
If successful, North Devon will be the eighth council in the UK to adopt 100% plant-based catering, following progressive councils such as Oxfordshire, Cambridge and Exeter [3].
At a full council meeting for North Devon District Council on 17/07/24, a motion for the council to lead by example and serve fully plant-based food and drink at any future catering for internal meetings and events will be debated.
The motion was proposed by Councillor Ricky Knight of the Green Party, requesting that North Devon join the wave of councils across the country who are promoting healthy plant-based eating as the logical and necessary next step after declaring a climate emergency.
Councillor Knight, who served on Barnstaple Town Council for 18 years, has said on the matter:
“Putting this Plant-Based Councils motion to North Devon District Full Council might seem like an unusual move in a rural area with such strong links to livestock farming and the agricultural community. But this motion is actually a vital ingredient in every council’s determination to help the country achieve Net Zero by 2030.”
The motion references several sources that back the transition to a plant-based food system as one of the key solutions to the climate crisis. For example, a 2018 Oxford University study concluded that adopting a plant-based diet is the single biggest way individuals can reduce their environmental impact [4]. Alongside urging the council to switch to 100% plant-based catering, Knight also suggests banning meat and dairy advertising wherever the council has an influence, and that he, as the Lead Member for Climate and Biodiversity, works with local farmers to support and encourage their move to create sustainable plant-based produce.
The motion is set to be quite controversial in the area given its rural context. North Devon District Council has a large local farming community and seven councillors are farmers themselves. Due to the codes and protocols outlined in North Devon’s constitution, the councillors who work in farming will likely be told to abstain from voting for having a pecuniary interest in the matter [5].
On this matter, Knight had to say:
“[The motion] is most certainly not ‘anti-farming’; on the contrary, it is pro-sustainably produced local food, responding to the Government’s own ‘National Food Strategy’ and a wealth of research from established and respected institutions.”
The motion was put forward following discussions with Plant-Based Councils campaigners. Plant-Based Councils, an Animal Rising campaign, is a national initiative of local residents who are pushing for their councils to adopt 100% plant-based catering. Michaela Andrews, a spokesperson for the campaign, said:
“Local authorities have a responsibility to follow the current scientific consensus, which acknowledges the environmental, health and cost benefits of plant-based meals over those containing meat and dairy. Councils can make changes, such as those outlined in Councillor Knight’s motion, to lead by example and help to legitimise and normalise plant-based eating as the clear solution to the climate crisis.”
The campaign is active in over 32 councils, with the group encouraging interested residents to sign up to run a local campaign.
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For more information or further comments, please contact press@plantbasedcouncils.org.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Councillor Knight’s motion on the agenda for North Devon District Council meeting on 17/07/24: https://democracy.northdevon.gov.uk/documents/g2983/Agenda%20frontsheet%2017th-Jul-2024%2018.30%20Council.pdf?T=0
[2] The Plant-Based Councils campaign aims to address the climate emergency starting with the food on our plates. Working with councils across the UK to encourage them to lead the way in the switch from emission heavy foods to plant-based ones that are better for health, our planet and reducing the impact from the cost of living crisis. www.plantbasedcouncils.org
[3] Councils Go Vegan - In The UK And Worldwide: https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/vegan-councils/?utm_source=PETA%20UK::Google&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=1120::gen::PETA%20UK::Google::s-grant-awa-dsa::::searchad&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhb60BhClARIsABGGtw-DV6-girOIl_9hvbnpSV4DEopCzN02Q2_4qGA00TViOoD8SYnZqpcaAoD-EALw_wcB
[4] Oxford University 2018: ‘Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers’: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216
[5] North Devon District Council Constitution - Codes and Protocols: https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/media/380908/part-5-codes-and-protocols-members-code-of-conduct-aug-2021.pdf
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