panish ministers clash over a campaign to eat less meat

A Spanish minister has been roasted by members of his own coalition government over his efforts to cut back meat consumption within the country. This week consumer affairs minister, Alberto Garzón, launched a campaign to encourage Spaniards to eat less meat. “Eating an excessive amount of meat is bad for our health and for the earth,” Mr. Garzón said during a video on Twitter. But for some cabinet ministers, his plea for moderation was difficult to swallow. “It seems to me the campaign is unfortunate,” agriculture minister Luis Planas said in an interview with a neighborhood station. Mr. Planas said the “Less meat, more life” campaign was “unfair” for Spain’s meat industry, which may be a major contributor to the country’s economy. Those views were echoed in a letter to Mr. Garzón, penned by six meat-producing associations. The associations accused the minister of defaming a sector that accounts for two.5 million jobs and exports worth almost €9bn (£7.7bn; $10.6) in Spain. This criticism raised the stakes for Mr. Garzón, who went on state TV to defend his campaign and clarify his message. The idea, he said, wasn’t to prevent eating meat altogether. Rather, he urged people to follow the guidance of Spain’s food regulator, which recommends eating between 200g (3.5oz) and 500g of meat per week. At the instant, the typical Spaniard eats over 1kg, he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) says many national health authorities advise people to limit intake of processed meat and pork, which are linked to increased risks of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. The emissions produced by the meat industry have also been linked to temperature change. The feud exposed political differences between parties within Spain’s ruling coalition. Mr. Planas belongs to Mr. Sánchez’s Socialist Party, which has strong support in some rural areas and among traditional working-class voters. Mr. Garzón is from the left-wing Unidas Podemos, which depends on younger and concrete progressive voters. To beef or to not beef is additionally a contentious subject in neighboring France, where the govt. criticized Lyon’s mayor for removing meat from school dinners.