Celebrity farmer slams Oxford students for vote to ban beef and lamb

A celebrity farmer has slammed a vote by Oxford students to ban beef and lamb from campus canteens.

TV’s Gareth Wyn Jones, from Llanfairfechan, who is an advocate of sustainable meat production, branded the move as “misguided and foolish.”

Oxford University’s students’ union passed a motion on the subject by a hefty two-thirds majority at their weekly student council.

Union representatives will now put pressure on the university to impose a draconian meat ban at restaurants and takeaways on campus.

The students say that the reason for this is the impact of meat on climate emissions. The motion that was passed linked reducing greenhouse emissions to anti-racism.

Outspoken hill farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, who has lived all his life at Ty’n Llwyfan farm, and whose family has farmed the land for 350 years, reacted to the vote with dismay.

He said: “Showing the absolute state of our country and its educational system. They’ve no idea of sustainable environmentally friendly food production. Nothing but misguided and foolish.”

‘Change’

The motion read: “As the UK’s premier university, the nation looks to Oxford for leadership, but Oxford has shown a lack of leadership in addressing climate change.

“The banning of beef and lamb at university-catered events and outlets is a feasible and effective strategy to help the university meet its revised 2030 goal.

“A change at the university level will open the gates for similar change at the college level.

“The university has a commitment to anti-racism, and this requires urgent action to minimise greenhouse emissions.”

Rival establishment Cambridge University has already banned beef from campus canteens.