Animal rights charity Peta has said Scotland's biggest agricultural show should get rid of its animal displays and go vegan – replacing livestock shows with a "turnip beauty pageant".
The organisation claims that the Royal Highland Show is "outdated" for its practices of showcasing thousands of animals, including scores of cattle breeds, sheep, horses, goats and birds. Each event – the next of which takes place from June 22 to 25 – sees around 200,000 people descend on Ingliston near Edinburgh to see contests including show-jumping and sheep-shearing, which Peta brands "cruel".
Peta, which is known for its provocative and sometimes controversial campaigns, has proposed replacing the event with the Royal Highland Grow, an entirely plant-based event with no animal products, to encourage more environmentally friendly farming practices. It has released a "cheerful" logo for its would-be replacement, featuring new mascots Neep and Tattie – a cartoon turnip and potato.
The Royal Highland Show has been going for over 180 years in support of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS). As well as showcasing animals, the event sees over 1,000 trade exhibitors sell and show off their wares, from Scottish food and drink to agricultural equipment.
However, Peta has proposed scrapping animal displays and events and replacing them with vegan alternatives, including a veggie haggis-eating contest, a turnip beauty pageant and a potato sculpting competition. Moving away from encouraging the breeding of livestock, the organisation says, would promote more environmentally sustainable farming practices.
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Dawn Carr, from Peta, said: “Instead of outdated cow parades, cruel sheep shearing, and food that has been cut or expelled from an animal’s body, the new Royal Highland Grow can celebrate Scotland’s hard-working plant-based farmers and delicious, locally produced vegan fare.
“The change will support the UK’s arable and horticultural farmers and help protect the environment by highlighting all the fantastic crops that can be grown in Scotland, from kelp to oats.”
Researchers at the University of Oxford have found that global temperatures could rise by as much as 1.5C because of current farming practices, even if fossil fuel usage was eliminated altogether, because of emissions associated with food production including methane expelled by cows. The study recommended that people move to "predominantly plant-based diets" to avert disastrous climate change.
Earlier this year, Edinburgh City Council expressed support for the Plant Based Treaty - a city-wide commitment to tackling food-related emissions. A paper agreed by councillors concluded: "Overall, the science is clear: meat and dairy consumption must reduce to achieve climate targets.”
However, the future of the Royal Highland Show would have to be carefully considered before any action was taken. A recent report commissioned by RHASS found that the event contributes almost £40 million to the Edinburgh economy each year – more than the capital's Hogmanay celebrations – and millions more to the wider Scottish economy.
Bobby Carruth, of farming union NFU Scotland, said: "As an event, it provides a showcase for the finest food and drink in the land and attracts the very best livestock from throughout the UK. It is an incredible day out for farmers and the public alike.
“It is also a hugely important economic platform for food and drink, which is the nation’s biggest manufacturing sector, directly and indirectly supporting 360,000 jobs. And with 65,000 people working in Scottish agriculture, farmers and crofters are the cornerstone of that growing food and drink sector.
"A day out at the Highland Show, meeting friends, seeing the best livestock, viewing the latest in machinery and technology keeps our farmers and crofters in the vanguard when it comes to sustainably producing food, tackling climate change and bolstering biodiversity.”
RHASS, meanwhile, has said that it is determined to keep the Royal Highland Show open as a "showcase for the whole of Scottish agriculture". Responding to Peta's suggestions, chief executive Alan Laidlaw said the animal rights group was "misrepresenting" some aspects of animal care, including sheep shearing, in its rally against the event.
He added: "I can only assume that this is to grab media attention. However, while most will see through this for what it is, it has the potential to further undermine our proud agricultural sector and our farmers who work 24/7 to feed our nation with a wide choice of fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat for the many millions who choose to make that part of their diet.”
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