A row has broken out in Angela Merkel’s government after the environment minister banned meat at official functions.

Barbara Hendricks claims eating meat is damaging to the environment and has ordered only vegetarian food to be served. A rival minister has accused her of “nanny-statism” and trying ot force vegetarianism on people “by the back door.”

The ban emerged in an email to department heads from a senior civil servant in the environment ministry. “We’re not telling anyone what they should eat,” the environment ministry said in a statement. “But we want to set a good example for climate protection, because vegetarian food is more climate-friendly than meat and fish.”

While Hendricks’ ban on meat only extends to official functions and not what government officials will be served daily at the staff canteen, she has made a bold statement for the environment — one that we hope will inspire other government officials to do the same.

 

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