March 19, 2021

Nebraska, US, governor slams Colorado's 'meatless' day

A proclamation in Colorado, the United States, encouraging people to avoid meat for one day in a week, was criticised by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who slammed the move as an attack on a way of life and countersigned a pro-meat declaration.

Speaking with top officials from Nebraska's meat, agricultural and restaurant industries, Ricketts declared on March 20 a "Meat on the Menu Day" in the state. The date was chosen to match Colorado's MeatOut Day, a non-binding proclamation backed by an animal rights group and signed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

MeatOut Day was started in 1985 by the Farm Animal Rights Movement and sought to encourage non-vegetarians to consider a plant-based diet. The proclamation faced criticism from Colorado's ranching industry as well as some local governments and conservative groups in Colorado in February.

Ricketts noted that beef production is Nebraska's largest industry and that meat is a nutritious, protein rich food source. "That is a direct attack on our way of life here in Nebraska," he said at a news conference.

"If you were to get rid of beef in our country, you would be undermining our food security, an important part of a healthy diet and also destroying an industry here in our state that's very important."

Nebraska Department of Agriculture director Steve Wellman said: "Agriculture supports one out of every four jobs in Nebraska and generates US$21 billion each year. Meat products alone generate about US$12 billion annually and the industry has continued to grow.

"When agriculture does well, Nebraska does well. Agriculture is the heart and soul of Nebraska and our 45,700 farm and ranch families keep our state going year after year."

 - ABC News