Online Petition Calling on BBC to Create Ethical Food Show

A new petition has been launched , addressed to : BBC TRUST, BBC AUDIENCE SERVICES, BBC DIRECTOR-GENERAL TONY HALL, MARK LINSEY – CONTROLLER ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSIONING, TESSA FINCH – HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS, calling on the BBC to: Introduce a prime-time vegan, vegetarian and ethical cooking show with its own chefs, exciting recipes and dedicated programming content. There are 150,000 full-time vegans in the UK and 1.2 million vegetarians who are not catered for by any cooking programmes. We are simply not watching current mainstream cooking programmes and we do not feel represented under the BBC’s policy to reflect the diversity of the UK. Why is this important? Recent high profile scientific evidence shows that eating a plant-based diet will help prevent worsening climate change. Animal agriculture overuses the world’s precious resources and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases; 40-50% of farmed grain is fed to animals for the meat and dairy industry. As advocates of an end to unnecessary cruelty to animals, vegans are leading the trend towards a compassionate, ethical and healthy diet and we ask that the BBC stop excluding us from food programming. A fresh new cooking show will inform and help address the problems of stereotyping and cultural reference that prevent so many people from changing to a plant based diet. Veganism is a legally protected belief under Article 9 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. Yet, it is underrepresented and often misunderstood; generally vegans eat a much wider variety of food than meat eaters. Where is the modern celebrity chef who could introduce innovative culinary television programming that represents vegans and a better nutritional future for everyone? Look to the popularity of people like Lee Watson, author of Peace and Parsnips and five-year vegan, and Áine Carlin, Peasoup blogger and author of The New Vegan. It is time for a distinct and vibrant ethical cooking show to take centre stage, push meat to the side and bring modern and compassionate attitudes in to the heart of the BBC. References: 1. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/no-meat-no-dairy-no-problem-is-2014-the-year-vegans-become-mainstream-9032064.html [Accessed 26 December 2015] 2. https://www.vegsoc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=753 3.8 million mainly vegetarians in UK and, “according to the European Vegetarian Union, Britain has the third highest rate of vegetarianism in the European Union” http://www.libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/home/root/news-libertygb/6123-uk-vegetarians [Accessed 26 December 2015] 3. BBC RADIO 4 – Henry Dimbleby in conversation with Professor Tim Lang (Professor of Food Policy, City University London) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s9d26#play [Accessed 26 December 2015] 4. https://www.vegansociety.com/about-us/key-facts