Over the past eight months, the NFU's livestock and economics teams have been meeting with NatWest following concerns raised in November 2023 over the GHG (greenhouse gases) tracker on its mobile banking app.
The app gives customers a personalised carbon footprint score each month, and suggests that customers cut red meat out of their diet and drink plant-based milks as a measure to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Reversing recommendations
Following conversations and regular meetings with the NFU, NatWest has made changes to its app.
These include:
- removing the 鈥渟wap out beef鈥� and 鈥渟wap to plant-based milk鈥� recommendations, and
- adding the recommendation that customers should 鈥淏uy local, British and seasonal produce鈥�.
However, the app still continues to recommend 鈥渧eggie Mondays鈥�, 鈥渃hoosing vegetarian at home鈥�, 鈥渃hoosing vegetarian鈥� and 鈥渃hoosing (mostly) plant-based鈥� to its customers as ways to reduce their GHG emissions.
Lack of balanced messaging
NFU Livestock Board chair David Barton said:
鈥淚 remain disappointed on behalf of our many livestock members, and as a NatWest customer myself, that the bank is still encouraging the reduction of meat consumption on its app, suggesting it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
鈥淧eople should be free to choose whatever diet they wish to follow, but it must be an informed choice.
鈥淲e understand that the NatWest app is primarily focusing on GHG emissions, but the reality is that when making diet related recommendations, other factors such as nutrition, environment, and biodiversity must be presented.鈥�
鈥淧urely focusing on GHG emissions overlooks the benefits of British meat entirely and oversimplifies a nuanced topic.鈥�
David Barton
Understanding the value in British meat and dairy
British meat and dairy are among the most sustainable in the world, with UK beef emissions less than half the global average.
Red meat and dairy are also recognised as an essential part of a healthy diet, being naturally rich sources of protein and calcium and providing essential nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
David went on to say: 鈥淢eat is one of the most nutritionally dense, minimally processed foods that we can consume, and by buying it we are enhancing our landscape, protecting biodiversity, and supporting rural communities.
鈥淧urely focusing on GHG emissions overlooks these benefits entirely and oversimplifies a nuanced topic.
Ongoing conversation
鈥淒espite this disappointment, I am pleased to see some changes being made to the 鈥榗arbon tracker鈥� on its personal banking app, following NFU engagement with NatWest at a senior level over several months.
鈥淚 am also pleased that conversations are still ongoing between the NFU and NatWest on how best to communicate the benefits of meat to the bank鈥檚 customers.鈥�
鈥淚 remain disappointed on behalf of our many livestock members that NatWest is still encouraging the reduction of meat consumption on its app, suggesting it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.鈥�
NFU Livestock Board chair David Barton
How the NFU has worked to address the issue
皇家华人made NatWest aware that oversimplified messages such as this miss the nuance of the path to a sustainable food system and highlighted the damage such recommendations could do to the British red meat and dairy sectors.
NatWest acknowledged our concerns and our view that these recommendations do not support British agriculture and hugely oversimplify a very complex message.
The NatWest Agriculture team assured us that they were working closely with the Digital Banking team to ensure that a more balanced message is provided via its app.
Speaking at the time, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said:聽
鈥溾�淚t is positive to see NatWest鈥檚 willingness to learn, and we are committed to continuing to work with the banking sector to ensure they fully understand and work alongside the agriculture sector when it comes to reducing emissions and supporting resilient, sustainable businesses.鈥�
In August, representatives from NatWest joined the the NFU's livestock, economics and climate change teams on NFU Livestock Board chair David Barton's farm, near Cirencester, to discuss the opportunities and challenges the red meat industry and banking sector face regarding the environment and climate change.
Read: NatWest joins NFU on farm to discuss complexities of red meat sector
Clarifying a complex message
We have offered support in developing this message and reiterated that British livestock and dairy farmers are some of the most GHG efficient in the world and are custodians of large swathes of our iconic landscapes, with grass fields providing important habitats for biodiversity and vital carbon reserves in our soils.
Ultimately, the NFU urges the banking industry to keep a balanced message when making any recommendations to its customers and recognise the important role British farmers and growers have in the transition towards a sustainable economy and the work they are doing, and will continue to do, to facilitate this movement.
We will continue to engage with NatWest on the development of its app.
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