Vegan ad campaign - a big missed steak

Translink and Dublin Bus have been lambasted for allowing tHeir fleet to be used to promote a “grammatically and factually incorrect” pro-vegan advertising campaign that has been accused of inciting “hate” towards farmers.

More than 100 buses in the capital carried the message paid for by non-profit animal advocacy organisation ‘Go Vegan World’ that included slogans such as ‘it’s time to stop using animal products’ and ‘dairy takes babies from their mothers’. Another suggested that animal agriculture is the ‘largest contributor to Ireland’s GHG emissions’ and that ‘Veganism is the solution’.

The campaign message was also plastered on billboards, before being taken down on January 12, 2023.

Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly began the debate with a motion tabled at the February monthly meeting of elected members asking that the council request ‘further protections for family farms’. This would be done by writing to the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, and demanding he investigate how the Go Vegan poster campaign featuring alleged ‘disinformation targeted at farmers’ was promoted on public buses ‘without challenge’ and to ensure ‘this does not happen again’.

The Bailieborough representative said she herself had been contacted by farmers “unhappy” about the advertisements.

The pro-life campaigner also mused: “It is bizarre and somewhat sadly ironic, that many of these same people see no issue with aborting a child in the womb.”

Cllr O’Reilly acknowledged that Translink and Dublin Bus have confirmed the views in the advertisement “do not” represent that of the respective companies.

“Farmers do extraordinary work,” she continued. “I am concerned about the extreme language and narrative being used. It seems somewhat fanatical and I do think it verges on incitement to hate and it is specifically targeted at farmers.

“I would urge campaigners to ensure they do not demonise farmers in discussions about vegetarianism or veganism.”

There existed, she said, “conflicting messages” at State level where on one hand Bord Bia were advertising the merits of Irish produced food, all the while being “undermined by extreme messaging” demonising a rural way of life for “just a few euros of advertising”.

“Many of my friends are farmers and they treat their animals very well. We must recognise the extraordinary work farmers do on a daily basis,” she concluded, before labelling the Go Vegan “yet another example of a very vocal, well-funded, extreme minority vocal wokeisim”.

Her motion was seconded by Independent Shane P O ‘Reilly who said this was yet another attempt by the “no brigade” to “change our whole way of life”, and a “two fingers” gesture to every farmer and a country “built on agriculture”.

Cllr S.P. O’Reilly stated he had found himself becoming increasingly “angry at this constant obliteration of a normal life”.

“I loved a time when you could have an opinion and no one got offended. Now everyone is offended. The sooner we say stop to all of this the better.”

Fine Gael’s Winston Bennett, a dairy farmer, said Ireland had always relied on the agricultural industry to steer the economy.

There was a time when putting butter on bread led to health warnings. Now, the Ballinagh representative said, switching on the television meant watching famous chefs lavish their dishes with the dairy product. “Why was the company allowed it to be put up?” he asked of the Go Vegan campaign.

There was support too for the motion from TP O Reilly (FG) and Patricia Walsh (FF), while Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley commented on just how effective the ad campaign had been to merit such discussion and, as a result, get reported subsequently in The Anglo-Celt.

Fianna Fáil’s Aidan Fitzpatrick, a poultry farmer, interjected that everyone was “entitled to eat what they like”.

It illicited a loud response from Cllr S.P. O’Reilly from the back of the chamber, who branded Cllr Fitzpatrick’s remark a “disgrace” and a “slap in the face” to farmers everywhere.

“No it’s not,” retorted Cllr Feeley quickly, before Cllr Fitzpatrick calmly offered in reply to Cllr SP O’Reilly’s barb: “Who do you think grows vegetables?”

Author of the motion Cllr Sarah O’Reilly said she disagreed with some of the contributions made.

The advertising campaign she noted had the potential to be “inflammatory”, and asked “where does it end? It’s extremism”.