Meat debate in Spain: Jamón and Chuletón split government

Meatballs or Jamón Ibérico: Spanish cuisine is not necessarily low in meat. This is damaging the climate, says Spain’s consumer minister – and thus triggering a debate that also divides the government.

It all started with a video that the Department of Consumer Protection posted online a few days ago. The title: “Less meat, more life.” Minister Alberto Garzón from the left-wing Izquierda Unida party announced the following message: “Anyone who eats a lot of meat harms their health and our planet. If we change our diet, we improve the situation of the planet. The gases emitted by cows and the feces of Pig harms the planet more than car exhaust. ”

“You do not play with food!”

It was clear that such sentences would cause an outcry. Comments like “the communists now want to tell us what to eat” are making the rounds on social networks. In interviews, the minister rows back that everyone can of course decide for themselves what is on the table.

But the sentences from the video are out there. Pedro Barato, the president of the ASAJA agricultural association, is furious: “Minister Garzón is acting irresponsibly,” he says. This is not how help for the country, for an industry, looks like. “Minister, you don’t play with food!”

800,000 employees in the meat industry

The meat industry sees its sector in danger. Spain is one of the largest agricultural producers in Western Europe; many Spanish foods also end up on the German market. According to official information, around 800,000 people work in the country’s agriculture and livestock industry.

Agriculture and Food Minister Luis Planas sees himself as the defender of these jobs. He belongs to the socialist party and is anything but enthusiastic about the plans of his politically more left-wing ministerial colleague. It was an “unfortunate campaign,” said Planas. “That’s what I say because I think so. And I think our ranchers just don’t deserve such a campaign.”

“A medium-fried steak is unbeatable”

An open dispute has broken out in the Spanish coalition government. Obviously, the departments have not coordinated their campaigns with each other. Journalists speak to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about this on a visit to Lithuania. He smiles and replies: “Personally, I would like to say: A steak, fried medium, is unbeatable.”

The criticized consumer minister Garzón is still sticking to his campaign. He cites studies that show that Spaniards eat more than 50 kilograms of meat a year. The United Nations, on the other hand, recommend 26 kilos.

Long life expectancy despite high meat consumption

But what statistics also show: The life expectancy of people in Spain is among the highest in the world. According to Minister Garzón, this is “due to the Mediterranean diet. It provides almost no red meat”. Instead, vegetables, legumes and fish formed the basis. But – adds the minister: “70 percent of Spaniards no longer follow the Mediterranean diet and prefer to eat meat and industrially processed dishes.”

If you ask the people on the streets of Madrid, many will admit that. “Yes, you have to eat more fish, more vegetables and less meat,” says one woman. She says: For many in the country, a meal without meat is not a complete meal.

Hardly anyone would want to do without the Jamón Ibérico or a Chuletón, the steak, or the famous Albóndigas, the meatballs, which are hard to imagine a Spanish tapas bar without.