Token beef ban will have little effect on climate

sir – Does Professor Frances Corner (report, August 13) not know that a lot of land in Britain is only suitable for raising cattle and sheep? Has she considered how many miles are clocked up importing rice, lentils and other beans – beloved of vegetarians and vegans – which cannot be grown in this country? Is any person at Goldsmiths, University of London, still drinking cows’ milk, or are they happy with coconut milk – imported, of course?

If a university wishes to reduce its carbon footprint, it would be more effective to buy only British-produced food, clothing and other goods, and to recruit students and staff locally to reduce pollution caused by transport.

Banning beef from the canteen is merely a token gesture. If the professor were serious about the climate, she would implement more effective measures.

Rachel Allen

Long Eaton, Derbyshire

SIR – Last week, the BBC highlighted the United Nations’s call for us all to eat less red meat in order to help fight climate change.

Britain’s share of the world’s CO2 emissions is 1.2 per cent. Of this, agriculture’s share is 8.64 per cent. Cattle are responsible for just 2.03 per cent and sheep 0.005 per cent of the British output.

Cutting consumption of dairy products and beef would make it harder to maintain a balanced diet, cause significant reductions in rural employment and damage our beautiful countryside. We should also remember that pasture absorbs CO2.

Why has the Government failed to make these arguments?

Chris Hargraves Llangunllo, Radnorshire

SIR – The banning of beef at Goldsmiths leads one to wonder how long it will be before the Tower of London’s Beefeaters are renamed, and what that name might be.

Gerald Fisher Milborne Port, Somerset