Michael Mansfield QC (Photo: Brian O'Neill)

A top British barrister says eating meat could be banned because of the devastating impact it has on the planet.

Michael Mansfield QC will make a speech as part of a panel of experts at the Labour party conference today. He will call for legislation to criminalize the wilful destruction of nature, citing concerns that livestock farming is destroying the planet.

Other people on the panel will include Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol East; Juliet Gellatley, Director of Viva!; Dr Josh Cullimore, GP and Public Health Specialist; Joseph Poore, Environmental Researcher at the University of Oxford; and Tony Wardle, Associate Director of Viva!

'Not preposterous'

"I think when we look at the damage eating meat is doing to the planet it is not preposterous to think that one day it will become illegal," Mansfield will say, according to a statement sent to Plant Based News.

"There are plenty of things that were once commonplace that are now illegal such as smoking inside. We know that the top 3,000 companies in the world are responsible for more than £1.5 trillion worth of damage to the environment with meat and dairy production high on the list.

"We know that because the UN has told us so. It is time for a new law on ecocide to go alongside genocide and the other crimes against humanity."

Vegan Now

The panel will be launching a new campaign called Vegan Now, created by animal protection charity Viva!, which wants to highlight the environmental damage animal agriculture wreaks on the planet.

The campaign video featured below was edited and directed by Plant Based News' Robbie Lockie.

"Thirty years ago people didn't bat an eyelid if you lit a cigarette in a pub or restaurant. But now society accepts smoking is harmful and totally unnecessary and so we legislated against it. The same could happen with eating meat," Viva! Director Juliet Gellatley said.

"The global livestock industry is wrecking our most precious flora and fauna. And for nothing more than corporate greed. It's high time we kicked meat and dairy into touch and went vegan now."