Cattle farmers are campaigning to lower the age cows can be killed and sold as beef, claiming it will reduce greenhouse gases.

The National Beef Association (NBA) is calling for calves aged eight months, rather than the current 12 months, to be classified as beef rather than veal - which is less popular with consumers and cheaper for meat processors to buy.

It says the move will raise the profitability of the UK beef sector by millions of pounds and spare farmers money and resources, as well as reduce greenhouse gases as cattle will be grazing for a shorter period.

But charities have accused the NBA of using environmental benefits as a smokescreen for what they say is a purely "profit-driven" exercise.

They claim slaughtering cattle at an earlier age and increasing the amount of beef in circulation could in fact have a detrimental impact on the environment, as meat consumption contributes to climate change.

Goldsmiths, University of London recently took burgers, lasagne, chilli and tacos off its campus menus in a bid to reduce its environmental footprint.

Animal Aid told The Telegraph: "We feel that this profit-driven proposal simply amounts to a marketing ploy which attempts to overcome UK shoppers’ reluctance to buy 'veal'.