“The BBC have given into lobbying by the NFU who complained that it did not show enough eco-friendly farming.”

The BBC is facing backlash after it pulled a documentary investigating the environmental damage caused by meat production.

Meat: A Threat To Our Planet, presented by animal biologist Liz Bonnin, has been removed 10 months after it was aired on BBC1 on 25th November, 2019.

The move was in response to the National Farmers’ Union’s complaint, which claimed the BBC documentary ‘failed to make clear distinctions between grass-fed regenerative beef farming in the UK and cattle ranching in the Amazon.’

Responding to the complaint, BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU), having agreed that the subject-matter of the programme was divisive, said the documentary fell below BBC’s standards of impartiality in relation to controversial subjects and removed the film.

‘Rightly proud’

Minette Batters, NFU chief, said: “Today’s result provides true vindication on the points we made.

“British farmers are rightly proud of the work they do to rear quality livestock and care for the environment and they were angry and hurt by the false impression of UK livestock farming the programme created for the viewer at home.

“UK grass-based systems are incomparable with the intensive feedlot style systems shown on the programme, and it is fantastic to see that being recognised today.”

73% of UK’s farmed animals in factory farms

Despite NFU’s claim that the UK is one of the countries with the highest standards of animal welfare worldwide, animal rights charity, Compassion In World Farming, states, there are close to 800 US-style mega-farms operating across the country, and  “around 73% of farmed animals in the UK are kept in factory farms.”

‘Given into lobbying’

While meat lobbyists and the farmers’ unions have welcomed the decision, an online petition urging BBC to reinstate the documentary is gaining traction.

The petition, which has gained nearly 3000 signatures, states: “The BBC have given into lobbying by the NFU who complained that it did not show enough eco-friendly farming. 

“The programme was extremely informative and looked at industrial farming around the world which is a threat to our planet and climate change. 

“We are asking the BBC to please reinstate this extremely important documentary back onto iplayer.”

You can sign the petition here.

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