BBC accused of bias in ‘vegan turkey’ Christmas advert
The National Farmers Union objects to ‘breach of impartiality rules’ that endorse a meat-free diet
FARMERS have accused the BBC of being in breach of its impartiality rules by promoting veganism with a Christmas advert featuring turkeys wearing “I love vegans” jumpers.
The animated birds are seen rejoicing at meat-free meals in the recently released festive clip, which promotes the corporation’s Christmas coverage.
Concerns have been raised over the impartiality of the “campaigning” broadcaster and the impact of its coverage on livestock producers, with the advert cited as another example of a perceived bias against rural communities.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has decried what it sees as the BBC breaching its impartiality rules by promoting a vegan diet and taking sides in the debate over meat consumption.
The Christmas advert shows the jubilant turkeys cheering the news that “less of us have been gobbled this year”, a yoga teacher saying, “We don’t have to eat rabbit food for breakfast any more”, alongside scenes of a family carving a nut roast and a social-media montage of meatless dinners.
The NFU intend to complain to the broadcaster about perceived partiality in the advert, which the BBC said was meant to be light-hearted and was not an endorsement.
Stuart Roberts, vice-president of the union, said: “We are deeply concerned that the BBC appears to have started campaigning for a vegan diet in advertising for its Christmas programming, none of which appears to cover veganism in its schedule.
“It doesn’t appear to sit within the BBC’s editorial guidelines, which
‘Farmers feel this is further evidence that there is a wider BBC agenda against livestock farming in the UK’
clearly state that they shouldn’t be a campaigning organisation, and this advert takes our concerns about the BBC’s impartiality in its coverage of meat issues a step further.”
The NFU has been supporting turkey farmers in the build-up to Christmas, in a campaign aimed at helping buyers find their local producers. The union fears the BBC has left itself open to accusations it opposes these producers, and their communities.
Mr Roberts said: “This will cause great frustration for those livestock farmers who feel this is further evidence that there is a wider BBC agenda against livestock farming and rural communities in the UK.”
The BBC has denied that the advert is in any way an intervention on one side or other of the meat-eating debate.
A spokesman for the BBC said: “The cartoon turkeys in ‘ Go Vegan!’ T-shirts are intended to be comedic in keeping with the slightly surreal, exuberant spirit of the film, rather than any endorsement of a vegan lifestyle.”