The National Farmers Union have branded BBC over advert that seemingly endorses vegan and vegetarian diets.

BBC’s Christmas advert for this year #XmasLife is a short promotional film themed around families and friends enjoying the festive spirit leaving other stresses behind.

But the advert has upset a section of the society as farmers feel that BBC has violated its impartiality rules by promoting veganism in certain scenes.

For instance, in one scene a turkey wearing a green knitted jumper with a ‘I love vegans’ message printed across is seen pointing to a map of the UK with various pictures of meat-free dishes superimposed on it.

The turkey draws a cheer form the crowd as he says: “less of us have been gobbled this year,”

In another shot a yoga teacher states: “We don’t have to eat rabbit food for breakfast any more” as she readies herself into a yoga pose.

In yet another scene, comedian Harry Enfield is seen trying to cut himself a slice from a nut roast.

Miffed

The National Farmers Union (NFU) are unhappy with the advert and intend to lodge a formal complaint.

“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,” said NFU vice-president Stuart Roberts, to The Telegraph

“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.”

Response

The BBC refuted the claim stating that the advert was intended to be ‘lighthearted’ and is neither anti-meat nor a ploy to encourage veganism.

 “The cartoon turkeys in ‘Go Vegan!’ t-shirts are intended to be comedic and playful in keeping with the slightly surreal, exuberant spirit of the film, rather than any kind of endorsement or encouragement of a vegan lifestyle,” clarified a BBC spokesperson.

• Read: Disposable toys”: 2,000 baby chicks given to school children to counter phone addiction

What do you think of this commercial? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

About The Author