ICSA president Dermot Kelleher has called on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to clarify if it is comfortable with being involved in overtly political campaigns given that it is a body with a regulatory, science-based mandate. “ICSA was taken aback to see a blatant anti-meat crusade on the EPA social media platforms in the past few days.”

“The tweet from the EPA suggests that cutting back on meat makes you ‘healthier, wealthier and more fabulous’ – views which are subjective depending on context and then compounds this with the misleading suggestion that food waste is a meat problem when in fact most research says it is much more pronounced with fruit and vegetables, as well as bread.”

“Dishing out dietary advice is not an area the EPA should be getting into given their role as a trusted scientific referee.  Perhaps it would be better as well if they didn’t use a meme with a star from the TV series ‘Sex and the City’. The tweet might well be acceptable from a vegan or vegetarian lobby group. However, in the context of a body charged with environmental regulation, and key data measurement in respect of climate and water, it really isn’t good judgement to be seen to be actively campaigning against Irish livestock products.”