Scientists’ proposals for reducing meat consumption to cut greenhouse emissions would render most of Wales valueless in terms of food production, the leader of the principality’s farmers has warned.

Farmers’ Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan has warned against Defra being allowed to take part in European discussions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy.

He told the union’s council meeting two official reports calling for a cut in meat eating would have a detrimental impact on the environment and carbon storage that would lead to more rainforest destruction and increased food miles.

The policy has recently been advocated by climate chief Lord Stern and Health secretary Andy Burnham, although both partially retracted their statements following criticism from industry experts.

He said:research commissioned by Defra and the Welsh Assembly also confirmed what the FUW had been saying for the past four years that Defra’s policy would lead to a 26 per cent fall in cattle prices, cattle numbers would plummet by between 26 and 29 per cent and sheep prices would fall by around 12 per cent as the national flock shrank by around 17 per cent, with similar trends predicted for the milk, pig and poultry sectors.

“This is Defra’s policy now,” said Mr Vaughan.

“Since 2005 we have warned that that policy - which advocates less direct aid, more imports into the EU, and lower food prices - would devastate our industry and the rural areas in which we live.

“Despite their own reports warning that their policy will ‘hasten the decline in agricultural employment’ and ‘employment within the wider rural economy’ while undermining ‘the viability of the rural population’, Defra’s made no U-turn and, for all the warm words spoken by Hillary Benn in favour of agriculture, its policy is to destroy rural communities and businesses.”

"So in terms of the forthcoming negotiations on the future of the CAP, which will be critical to farming in Wales, this is the policy that Defra will be trying to push, and even as I speak, Defra officials are no doubt holding meetings and discussions about how best to get as many of these catastrophic policies into the post 2013 CAP.

“We believe that people should not be pushing for Defra to be at the European Parliament’s negotiating table because it would be advocating a policy that will devastate farming and our rural communities.”