NatWest Faces Criticism over Meat Consumption Advice
NatWest is locked in a row with farmers for urging customers to buy less red meat.
A “carbon footprint tracker” on the bank’s mobile app uses transaction data to advise customers on how to reduce their carbon footprint by changing their spending habits.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has been lobbying the bank for months to remove recommendations to reduce meat consumption and replace dairy products with plant-based alternatives.
The NFU accused NatWest of promoting “oversimplified messages” which “do not support British agriculture” and “miss the nuance of the path to a sustainable food system”.
It also highlighted the damage the messages could do to the British red meat and dairy sectors.
NatWest has agreed to make some changes to the wording in its app, including removing the recommendations to “swap out beef” and “swap to plant-based milk”.
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