The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has called on Translink to remove vegan advertisements on their buses, claiming that they ‘demonise’ the livestock industry and have the potential to damage families’ livelihoods.
The advertisements have been taken out by Go Vegan World.
The UFU says it has been contacted by a number of members expressing concern regarding the advertisements.
UFU president Ivor Ferguson said members, many of whom rely on the transportation service of Translink in rural areas and whose children take their buses to school, are ‘outraged’ by the vegan adverts.
“A public service should be impartial on all matters but the vegan adverts on the Translink buses uses emotive language that singles out our local farmers and has the potential to do serious damage to our agriculture industry and the livelihood of our farming families.
“Our produce is farmed to some of the highest environmental and animal welfare standards in the world so that consumers can enjoy quality food without worrying about what it contains or where it came from but Translink’s adverts dismisses the facts helping to perpetuate a negative narrative about eating meat and consuming dairy products,” he said.
The UFU says it has written to Translink to express its concern over the adverts and were unsatisfied by its response.
“We respect all personal decisions when it comes to diets but to demonise the livestock industry to promote another industry is wrong. NI is the envy of the world when it comes to high-quality food production and animal welfare standards, the agri-food industry turns over £4.5 billion annually supporting the NI economy and one in every eight jobs in the UK, our farmers care for the environment and many have diversified their businesses helping to boost tourism in local areas, all of which benefits Translink,” he added.
He said the UFU wants to want to work with Translink to review their vegan advertisements.
A spokesperson for Translink said the contract for the advertising is operated by an external media specialist which manages third-party advertisements for the buses.
“All adverts meet Advertising Standards Authority requirements. We are very sympathetic to the pressures facing our local farming community and recognise the important role they have in our economy and rural communities.
“By carrying this advert, we are not taking a stance on the issue.
“We understand the campaign also ran on public transport in London,” added the spokesperson.
Go Vegan World runs educational campaigns that provide members of the public with information on the rights of other animals not to be owned, used as resources or killed.
Go Vegan World Director Sandra Higgins said the ads running in Belfast this year state Dairy Takes Babies from their Mothers, and It’s Not A Personal Choice When Someone is Killed.
“We see this objection to our ads as an indication that people are uncomfortable about earning a living from exploiting defenceless animals and consumers are uncomfortable about creating a demand for the violence of animal agriculture or any other form of animal exploitation.”
“Go Vegan World has always stated that it is not opposed to farmers: it is opposed to their use of other animals as commodities for profit. In fact, Go Vegan World works with farmers to help them transition to a more ethical way of earning a living that is also more sustainable and more environmentally friendly,” she added.