Pembrokeshire council urged staff in an internal email to cut back on meat and dairy products, saying a plant-based diet was healthier.
This has caused anger amongst Welsh farmers, and organisations that support local farming practices.
Local farmer Charles George of Wolf's Castle told the BBC: "They should be out there encouraging people to eat local, to support local businesses, instead of having some vegan food that might have come from anywhere in the world."
Pembrokeshire NFU vice-chairman Simon Davies commented: "As farmers and as a union we work very hard as an industry to produce food of the highest quality and of the highest order."
“Redouble efforts to support local businesses”
Former Pembrokeshire council leader and independent councillor, John Davies, is reported as calling the message "a wrong one".
Plaid Cymru said communities "must redouble" efforts to support local businesses and food producers amid soaring grocery inflation and rising production costs.
Buy local
Samuel Kurtz, Welsh Conservative's rural affairs spokesman in the Senedd and son of a Pembrokeshire beef farmer told the BBC: "Pembrokeshire is renowned for its fantastic agricultural produce, of high quality and sustainability, so the industry would expect support from the local authority."
When asked for comment, Pembrokeshire County Council said the statement was reproduced out of context and has been withdrawn.
Farmers and rural campaigners have now asked the council to apologise for its error.
Countryside Alliance Wales is calling on the council to ‘pledge its wholehearted support’ for farmers. Rachel Evans, the alliance’s director for Wales said: “What local farmers in Wales need right now is to know local representatives have their back and for them not to be briefing against their industry behind closed doors.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
