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Beef lobby of New Zealand, if it has its way, wants to deny people choice of their food including food free of beef and free of animal products. Hindus avoid eating beef.

When you are in an airplane bound to your seat for 12 hours or more, with no near by restaurants, fully dependent on whatever food is on the menu of the air lines and available with the air hostess, politicians asking air lines not to keep food which does not include beef would be a disservice to consumer choice of food. Coercing people to consume beef instead of vegan alternatives, for a fast buck, is sure to hasten climate calamity.

The beef lobby led by MP Mark Patterson, of the ruling New Zealand First Party, strongly opposes its national carrier Air New Zealand’s decision to serve the vegan burger and considers it as a “slap in the face” to the country’s $6bn red meat sector.

Air New Zealand is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 31 international destinations in 19 countries around the Pacific Rim and the United Kingdom. First class passengers to Los Angeles route are offered a plant based, meat free, environment friendly choice of food.

Beef production has a very high impact on the environment. According to some studies, one Ton of beef production requires almost 17,000 cubic liters of water, (m³ water/ton)[28]. Compare that with 2,500 for rice and about 1,500 for wheat.(wikipedia). Denying consumers choice of ethical food and promoting alternative food high on green gas production chart is a “slap in the face” to the voters who have elected their representatives to look after personal rights and the environment.

However, the strong beef lobby is up in arms. It sees ethical food alternatives to its violent to animal (assuming killing is violence), beef industry as a threat to its existence.

Acting PM of New Zealand, MP Winston Peters who has been running the country since 21 June while Prime Minister Jacinda Arden is on maternity leave, is also opposed to selling beef alternatives. He said “Some of the taxpayers are the farming industry who want to ensure they get top end of the product market offshore and our airline should be its number one marketer.”

The Vegan Burger, is made using wheat, coconut oil, potatoes and “magic ingredient” heme. Compared to cows, the vegan product uses 95% less land, less water and creates 87% less greenhouse gas emissions, according to the company Impossible’s website.

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credit:wikipedia