Nebraska’s governor on Monday issued a pro-meat declaration after the governor of neighboring Colorado recently encouraged people to avoid animal products for one day a week.
The Associated Press reported that Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) accused Colorado’s governor of orchestrating a “direct attack on our way of life” and issued a proclamation declaring this Saturday “Meat on the Menu Day” during a press conference at a meat shop in Omaha.
“That is a direct attack on our way of life here in Nebraska,” Ricketts said, noting that beef production is his state’s largest industry.
“If you were to get rid of beef in our country, you would be undermining our food security, an important part of a healthy diet, and also destroying an industry here in our state that’s very important,” Ricketts added.
The state’s agriculture industry accounts for one out of every four jobs and ranchers in the state sell $12bn (£8.6bn) in meat products each year, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture director, Steve Wellman.
The “Meat on the Menu Day” was chosen to coincide with “MeatOut Day”on March 20, a non-binding proclamation signed by governor Jared Polis late last month and backed by animal rights activists.
Colorado’s proclamation states that “removing animal products from our diets reduces the risk of various ailments”, including heart disease, cancers, and diabetes.
“A plant-based diet helps protect the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, preserving forests, grasslands, and wildlife habitats, and reduces pollution of waterways,” the order adds.