Meatless Monday Gaffe

Looks like the USDA has a “closet anti-animal ag activist” in its midst. Last week a message inviting USDA staff to enjoy “Meatless Monday” in its cafeteria was included in the USDA interoffice newsletter published on its website. You might think, “okay, well that’s not so bad is it, lots of cafeterias and restaurants are offering vegetarian options on Mondays now”. But this message went beyond the usual focus on vegetarian health alternatives and literally attacked the animal agriculture industry by spouting anti-animal ag propaganda about greenhouse gases, climate change, wasting natural resources and pesticides. Needless to say, angry Facebook and Twitter posts from livestock producers and even members of Congress were flying fast and furious by that afternoon. Of course, a USDA spokesperson did issue a statement that “the USDA does not endorse “Meatless Monday” and that the statement found on the USDA website was posted without proper clearance”. Maybe the USDA could go one step further. Our boss here at the Ag Network suggested that perhaps we should start a “Two for Tuesdays” campaign, where you have two helpings of beef on Tuesdays since you had to suffer without beef on Monday.