It was very alarming to see that Tim Walz's MPCA Department sent out a message recently to Minnesotans saying they should NOT eat meat. The tweet said "We'll be sharing tips all week on small changes you can make to help combat #ClimateChange. To kick things off-Tip 1: Try #MeatlessMondays! Meat production contributes to #GHGemmissions, so going meatless even just once a week helps reduce the impact!"
I have served southern Minnesota in the House of Representatives since 2004. I've been proud to represent family farmers who raise livestock, the people who process livestock, the butchers, family groceries and consumers of meat. That is basically my whole district. The fact that our state government is using our tax dollars to urge them to reduce meat consumption by at least 1/7th would devastate my area. It would hurt family farmers and result in layoffs in the meat processing plants. I worry about our future in rural Minnesota and how policy makers ignore our communities and our economy.
It is the livestock industry that helps support the diversity in my district, from the livestock barns, to the processing plants, to the restaurants and food trucks that sell the final products. I personally know many of these hard-working families and would hate to see state government hurting their way of life.
Studies show that all of agriculture is responsible for only about 4% of all greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sorry to tell Tim Walz and the MPCA, but we do need to eat to stay alive and our farmers need to farm in order to feed us.
Categories: Minnesota, Livestock