Channel 4’s farming conflict

Sir, – There needs to be some questions asked about Channel 4’s motives for the series of anti-livestock farming programmes that they have apparently commissioned, the recent Apocalypse Cow with environment extremist George Monbiot being an example of the sort of biased nonsense that is no doubt to follow.

It is certainly abundantly clear that Channel 4 does not intend to take an even-handed view on the matter of livestock farming.

The problem with this is that Channel 4 has a subsidiary called the Channel 4 Commercial Growth Fund.

The objective of this fund is “to offer high growth potential companies, not currently advertising on television, the opportunity to build their business through advertising on Channel 4 platforms – by exchanging equity stakes and/or striking revenue share arrangements”.

Channel 4 Commercial Growth Fund has reputedly entered into a “seven-figure sum deal” with the Meatless Farm Co, a leading producer of meat substitutes.

Clearly Channel 4 will be carrying extensive advertising for Meatless Farm Co products in exchange for their Growth Fund getting either shares in the Meatless Farm Co or a share of their profits.

There can be no complaint about the Meatless Farm Co advertising on Channel 4 or anywhere else.

What is wrong though is that Channel 4 is commissioning anti-livestock farming programming on the one hand, while on the other they are investing in Meatless Farm Co expecting to gain financially from Meatless Farm’s consequential increase in profits.

Put simply, the more Channel 4 can damage UK livestock farming, the more they will expect to gain from their investments in this veggie-burger manufacturer.

Also The Meatless Farm is not a farm.

It is a food manufacturer fronted by Morten Toft Bech and aside from investment from Channel 4 Capital Growth Fund, it seems to be mainly financed by anonymous wealthy Chinese investors operating through a complex trail of companies in Hong Kong and Switzerland and eventually Fermion Capital Management UK Ltd in the UK.

They will not be intending to pay much UK corporation tax!

D Norrie. Denhead of Arbirlot, Arbroath.