What you quote is the opinion of a small gtoup of unrepresentative comittee members, It does not represent a truth, and there is no debate being allowed. So yes, my choice is about to be removed.
A tax on sales such as VAT reduces consumption slightly, but not to the extent being demanded i,e, 8o% so there will be taxes directly on the industry such as the Red Meat tax being put in place this month, and a Carbon Tax, and an animal feed tax on the feedstocks for ruminants. There is legislation proposed that all farmers must register births as well as deaths, for the red Meat tax so that they can tax births as well to reduce the male calf trade and the pet meat trade.
So hit the farmer where it huts and they will give up. If enough give up then the effect will be extinction of whole breeds of animals. since mankind will turn to other meat sources which will also have to be controlled too. So cattle and sheep will become like the mammoth and the dodo and the giant tortoise. Then the support industry will go just like it did when tractors replaced horses and killed off the blacksmith, the farriers and tack shops, the animal feed mills, and then the petfood makers. The effects on society will be huge, and we do not discuss it.
Can I just point out that animal births already have to be registered at birth, for pigs, sheep, goats and cattle, I think I have missed camelids, every animal traced when ever it moves, even if its to the local agriculural show.They are ear tagged with unique numbers. Someone I know got fined £5000, because his numbers didn't tally. The only ones that are exempt are feral herds that are confined to one area. This was all put in place for animal disease control, TB, swine flu and the rest.
https://secure.services.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/ctso
If you have over 50 hens you have to register the flock.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...d-on-scottish-farm/ar-BBZPUkt?ocid=spartandhp
If you kill a pig at home, every bit has to be disposed of and accounted for or the EHO and DEFRA will be after you.
I think politcians are very sensitive to the publics views, remember the poll tax. If the price of meat goes up by a large amount, even if its in a McD burger I think the general public will soon make their views known. I used to sell food at outside events, the burger van always makes the most money by far, and my biggest seller was the bacon bap. I also sold veggi food, and didn't sell a lot of it unless it was a bigger festival and a very small % of sales in relation to other catering. So whilist I think people may cut down on meat consumption there is a majority that do not have a voice, like the Brexit factor, who would be resistant to forced change.
We are also going through a period of relitive world instability. The coronavirus if nothing else has shown us how dependant we are on imports, the fires in Ausrailia may effect world food prices. In 2018 when whole herds of cattle were slaughtered in Norway due to drought and poor harvests meant there was no fodder for the winter, so even Europe is not immune.
Some parts of the UK have seen so much rain that crops planted have not grown, so I think in the summer food prices will increase any way, eggs and milk are far too cheap and lots of producers are getting out. We can not grow a lot of foods necessary for a nutritionally compleat plant based diet, so the diet woul be reliant on imports.
I go on another forum, for small holders and Sallyinthenorth, on about the third post down on is attached link makes a really good point, what do we do with all these animals?
https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=108940.75
Farmers are only just covering their costs, and even losing money and are getting out, so you either have to paid to keep them until they die or have a mass cull, and export the meat.
So like electric cars change if any, will happan slowly, there is so much money tied up in food production and land in the UK that the present goverment many of whom are supported from the Tory shires,would not be happy with the change, and I think the Red seats gained would be pretty hacked off if food prices increase and they have to pay more for the Sunday carvery.
I like to think that sooner or later common sense, or the vocal man or woman in the street will take over.