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Prioritising farmers needed instead of lecturing them as federal government integrates environmental sustainability into dietary guidelines by 2026

Mr. Littleproud criticises NHMRC's potential shift to sustainability, arguing it undermines their health expertise. Industry opposes targeting steak and lamb in dietary guidelines, calling it ideological.

By news@gippsland - 20th February 2024 - Back to News

Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Labor needs to stop lecturing farmers and start supporting them, ahead of the federal government incorporating environmental sustainability into Australian dietary guidelines. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is due to update its guidelines by the end of 2026. Mr Littleproud said if the NHMRC changed its guidelines based on sustainability, they would erode any currency of their recommendations because they're health, not environmental experts, and they should 'stick to their knitting'.

Littleproud calls on prioritising farmers over lecturing them as the federal government integrates environmental sustainability into dietary guidelines by 2026

Businesses resist overextension

Industry fears the developments are an overreach, with steak and lamb unfairly targeted, and go beyond the policy intent of Australian Dietary Guidelines to provide recommendations on healthy food. Mr Littleproud said the idea that consumers should eat less steak and lamb and instead favour chicken, due to a lower carbon footprint, is driven by ideology rather than common sense.

"Farmers need to be trusted as environmental managers and are already doing work towards reducing emissions. The Labor government should back our farmers and put faith in them, not tear away their income," Mr Littleproud said.

Opposes meat reduction

Mr Littleproud added, "Farmers are sustainable but continue to be the easy target to reduce emissions. Labor's ideology doesn't match the practical reality that people need to eat. Dietary guidelines should be about food, not elitist agendas trying to control people."

Northeast Victorian beef and lamb farmer Loretta Carroll said the idea was "just crazy". "This is a complete farce, it's not realistic at all. Meat is one of the most important staple foods and cutting it would actually have a huge impact on the health of people. Meat is full of micronutrients that aren't in other foods. This idea shows the inability to look at the facts - they are not looking at the real science here," Ms Carroll said.

Pictures from David Littleproud MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com