Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on Tuesday 15 March to decide whether food served at council events will be exclusively plant-based, as part of its policy to support healthy eating and tackle climate change.
Cabinet members will also decide on a proposal to introduce plant-based meal options to primary schools in the county at least two days per week.
The food awareness organisation ProVeg UK works with numerous local authorities across the country to introduce healthier and more sustainable plant-based foods in schools. “The decision next Tuesday will have ramifications for the rest of the country,” said Jimmy Pierson, director of ProVeg UK
“If Oxfordshire County Council approves these proposals, then we expect more councils to follow suit. It is a hugely important decision that would send a powerful message that here is a local authority prepared to take the lead on sustainability, and properly address the climate impact of our food. We wholeheartedly hope they do so, as it’s better for our health and for the planet,” Pierson added.
Since 2018, ProVeg UK’s School Plates programme has ensured that more than 4 million meals served in schools across the country have been plant-based or meat-free.
ProVeg UK is part of ProVeg International, which is campaigning to reduce global meat consumption by 50% by 2040. ProVeg campaigns under the slogan “Diet Change Not Climate Change” as changing our diet is one of the best actions an individual can take to tackle the overwhelming challenge presented by the global climate crisis.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), farmed animals are responsible for 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions, while a 2021 study published in Nature Food found that greenhouse gas emissions from animal farming are twice those of plant-based foods.
Many governments are now committed to reducing meat consumption, including the UK which is aiming to reduce meat by 30% under its National Food Strategy.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The minutes of the 14 December County Council meeting passing a motion on plant-based foods can be found here.
Details about the Cabinet meeting on 15 March can be found here.
Jimmy Pierson will be attending the meeting in person and is available for interviews.
For further information, please contact Jimmy on 07931 819 508 or email him at [email protected]
For general media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
ProVeg is an international food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system by replacing conventional animal-based products with plant-based and cultured alternatives.
ProVeg works with international decision-making bodies, governments, food producers, investors, the media, and the general public to help the world transition to a society and economy that are less dependent on animal agriculture and more sustainable for humans, animals, and our planet.
ProVeg has permanent-observer status with the UNFCCC, is accredited for UNEA, and has received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change Award.
