Haarlem, a suburb of Amsterdam, has become the first city in the world to ban advertising for meat—and it could pose more problems while attempting to be the solution for another.
“Where’s the Beef?” It Won’t Be in the Dutch Suburb of Haarlem as Law to Ban Meat Ads Will Go into Effect in 2024
The measure was a part of an initiative to combat greenhouse gases and climate change. A study published by Nature showed that the meat industry accounted for 60-percent of the food production’s contribution to man-made greenhouse gases.
Overall, the food industry makes up one-third of over man-made contributions.
In the Netherlands, several cities already made the push to ban advertising for fossil fuels with ads for travel, flying, and gas being pulled.
The GroenLinks Party presented the measure which has been met with pushback about clashing with freedom of speech in the country.
Ziggy Klazes, the GroenLinks Party councilor who drew up the law assured that they weren’t trying to govern “what people are baking and roast in their own kitchen.”
She was adamant that the measure was the right one and in line with other greenhouse gas-combating laws telling The Guardian:
“We can’t tell people there’s a climate crisis and encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause. Of course, there are a lot of people who find the decision outrageous and patronizing, but there are also a lot of people who think it’s fine.”
There is definitely some dissent from the farming sector about the ban. Within the government, the Christian Democrats Party sided with the ban while leader Wopke Hoekstra sympathized with farmers.
The ban will be put into action in 2024 and will encompass television, radio, and public spaces such as bus stops and the buses themselves.
CHECK IT OUT: To get The Overtimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
