The Committee on Climate Change has suggested people should all eat 20 per cent less meat and dairy produce.
The body advising the Scottish and UK governments said the equivalent of seven million tonnes less CO2 would be emitted by farms.
The Scottish NFU says the way beef and lamb is reared is among the most environmentally-friendly in the world.
But what do members of the Golden Day Club in Castle Douglas think?
Manager Martin Fortnum, 60, didn’t mince his words. He said: “It is bloody nonsense.
“There have been animals living in the Galloway countryside for generations and it has never bothered us up to now.
“The community is getting smaller and if all the farmers disappear what are we going to do for food?
“Having sheep and cattle on the hillsides keeps the grass down.”
Volunteer Holly Nelson, 30, said: “If you are factory farming then yes, that should be cut back.
“But that’s not what it’s like in Galloway. The animals run free and that’s about as natural and organic as you are going to get.
“I agree 100 per cent that Scotland should not be importing meat. We should be making it and rearing it in our country.”
Alice Gordon, 90, said: “I used to live on a farm and it was my job to feed the calves and look after them, so I think we are fine the way we are. I’m not going to be cutting down on my mince.”
Julie Aitken was concerned about the impact on local jobs.
“It’s going to put a lot of people out of business,” she said. “How are farmers supposed to manage the land if there are no animals on it?
“I used to have a small-holding and our animals were outdoors and running free.
“Maybe that’s how people should be thinking about keeping animals in the future. It’s not about how many animals you have – it’s how you look after them.”
