Campaigners are urging Bristol City Council to ban meat and dairy products from all City Hall events and conferences.
Three campaigners urged council chiefs during a cabinet meeting on July 12 to scrap all ham, cheese and milk from council catering, and switch to solely serving plant-based products. They said it would help the council reduce its carbon emissions, and save money.
Council chiefs voted to renew catering contracts as they are, with few changes, ahead of a potential big change across the board next year. Switching to completely plant-based catering would “become part of the conversation” then, one said.
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Pamela Nowicka said: “I would like Bristol City Council to commit to plant-based catering for all its conferences and events. It’s a tiny ask but one that promotes social justice and inclusion, not just in Bristol but globally. Far from being the preserve of avocado-chomping middle classes, most peasant food is and was mainly plant-based.
“Vegetables and pulses are cheaper, more accessible, healthier, and more climate-friendly than animal products. This is where Bristol City Council can lead by example, putting aside personal prejudices for the wider good, vital in these times of austerity. Everyone can eat plant-based, it’s fairer and more inclusive, particularly important in a diverse city like Bristol.”
Michaela Andres added: “This is an amazing opportunity to show climate leadership by stipulating that meals and refreshments supplied are plant-based. This is a real chance for Bristol to lead the way on climate action. It’s indisputable that we urgently need a major shift away from meat, dairy and fish consumption.
“It’s important for councils, schools and hospitals to lead by example, normalising plant-based meals by serving tasty and attractive dishes and putting them at the forefront of menus. Plant-based catering saves money, encourages good dietary habits and is one of the easiest and most effective ways for organisations to reduce their carbon emissions.”
At least two councils elsewhere in England have already made the switch to plant-based catering. Oxfordshire County Council voted to switch in March earlier this year, at a packed meeting which saw TV presenter and farmer Jeremy Clarkson protest the decision with other local farmers. Cambridge City Council took a similar decision this May, but with exceptions.
Responding to the campaigners, deputy mayor Craig Cheney said: “Obviously this year we’re just extending all these contracts and bringing them all in line with each other, before we do a full tendering exercise next year. That’s the point at which this will become part of our thinking, and that will be part of the conservation we have then.”
