Gloucestershire farmers have reacted angrily to a campaign by the county council encouraging residents to think about alternatives to milk as part of their plans to tackle climate change.
The ‘Swaps in Seconds’ campaign highlights the small swaps people can make in their everyday lives to reduce their carbon footprints.
One of the council’s suggestions was to use oat milk and to drink tea and coffee black occasionally. It also recommends people take part in ‘meat free Mondays’.
The campaign has resulted in heated criticism from local farmers, with one telling the BBC the campaign was ‘extremely frustrating’, adding he was worried about the impact on the dairy industry.
Responding to the criticism the council removed reference to milk alternatives from the campaign.
A spokesperson said: ‘Gloucestershire has an amazing farming community who go beyond the call of duty to produce local milk that people across the county enjoy. What we've published today is a series of swap suggestions for people to consider, from food to transport to clothing.
‘We didn’t mean to cause offence or to suggest people shouldn't support their local farmer. We encourage everyone to go out and support their local farmers however people buy their milk and other local food.’
