>#Stirling University union first in UK to ban meat and dairy
>__Campus outlets will serve plant-based food only from 2025__
>Marc Horne
>Wednesday November 16 2022, 2.40pm GMT, The Times
>Students at a university that specialises in sporting excellence have become the first in the UK to ban meat and dairy products, sparking claims that it is an “attack on freedom of choice”.
>The union at the University of Stirling has committed to serving only plant-based food in campus outlets, and phasing out all forms of animal produce including cheese, cow’s milk and honey, by 2025.
>The move was proposed by the Plant-Based Universities (PBU) campaign — an offshoot of the direct action group Extinction Rebellion — and has been supported by Chris Packham, the BBC broadcaster and activist.
>A spokesman for PBU said: “Stirling Students’ Union has listened to the scientific advice from world-leading academics and is setting a gold standard in environmental policy for other universities to follow.”
>Imogen Robertson, 21, a student campaigner at Stirling, north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, said: “We will be working with catering staff to ensure this vote is implemented in a way that provides cheap, delicious, planet-saving options throughout our students’ union.
>“We hope this sparks a wave of bold action across UK universities to commit to just and sustainable plant-based catering.”
>The motion was passed last week at a union meeting attended by about 100 people.
>The university has a student population of more than 17,000 and its alumni include the Olympic swimmer Duncan Scott, the professional golfers Richie Ramsay and Catriona Matthew, Grace Dent, the food critic and broadcaster, and Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale, the former Scottish first minister.
>Aaron Caulfield, who proposed the motion, added: “I was pushed to bring this motion by the belief that universities should not be hypocritical, and should follow their own research and the research of other institutions.
>“It should also help people who would not otherwise be exposed to vegan food to expand their meat-free options within their own diet at home.”
>The campus hosts Scotland’s national swimming and tennis centres.
>At present union-run outlets sell chicken, burgers and bacon rolls, while its student handbook was previously sponsored by the fast food firm Domino’s and featured images of pepperoni pizzas.
>Packham, the host of Springwatch, tweeted his support: “Young people are doing it for themselves. This is good.”
>However, the Countryside Alliance claimed the move was illogical and illiberal.
>“This is an attack on freedom of choice imposed by a tiny number of students on the wider student body, but it is also illogical,” Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the organisation, said. “Stirling’s students’ union would be much better off sourcing sustainable local meat and dairy produce from Scottish farmers instead. How can an avocado flown in from South America have eco-superiority over a piece of grass-fed beef from a local farm?
>“Stirling University should demonstrate their support for Scottish farmers by ensuring they continue to supply meat and dairy, irrespective of what its students’ union decide to do”.
>The decision will not affect refectories and cafés run directly by the university.
>The University of Edinburgh rejected a similar proposal in a campus-wide referendum in 2020. Of the 6,000 votes cast, 58 per cent said no to imposing veganism in campus cafés and restaurants.
This is actually really inconsiderate for people who have complex eating requirements. Decarbonising food as a direction of travel is really important however bans such as this generate access issues.
People on low fodmap diets or with conditions that generate widespread intolerances such as Interstitial cystiti can struggle with a wide range of fruit/veg/pulses, these go far beyond the 13 allergens food servers are legally required to list and make purchasing food out difficult, anxiety inducing and often painful. Reducing food choice isn’t just a about what people fancy eating but what they can eat and for many folks veg and pulse laden diets do not work well.
It’s perfectly possible to reduce availability/wide range of meat/dairy without going for bans. This feels a lot like the plastic straw ban all over again, well intentioned but designed from the ground up by folks who have no conception of how this will impact people with atypical dietary requirements.
Now they’ll have their revenge on those other omnivorous students who had been forcing them to eat meat.
vegans forcing their opinion on others? who could’ve guessed
[deleted]
I have IBS. I love meat/dairy alternatives alternatives but can’t eat them much, often because they set me off massively. I cope well with lean (animal) proteins and hard cheeses, probably because they lack fibre and fibre can exacerbate IBS. I love beans but they are too fibrous, and I dislike tofu with the exception of Mapo tofu. It’s already a fucking struggle to eat away from home because I have to avoid a flare-up while commuting as is. I wouldn’t be able to eat at this university.
At the two universities that I attended, the university owned the canteens and managed the contractors, or directly employed the staff, who ran them. The student unions had nothing to do with this area, so were in no position to ban certain foods.
Banned the sale of honey 🤔 what the fuck? with the honey bee in decline everywhere they should be encouraging people to take up beekeeping not banning the sale of the product which is wholly and good for you ….
> The motion was passed last week at a union meeting attended by about 100 people.
> The university has a student population of more than 17,000
Huh, sounds like how the Conservative Party works.
In three out of 13 eating places, after a vote by the student body. Reading the article, people.
I honestly don’t really disagree with this decision, but it is another example of why student politics is utterly fucking disgraceful. They shouldn’t have the right to make these decisions when participation is so low, and the fact that they masquerade as a legitimate democratic institution is repellant.
[deleted]
good luck to coeliac and gluten intolerant people. there’s SO little ‘fast’ food available to us as there is. taking away meat and dairy is dire
As long as it’s just the three places, fair enough but if they start pressuring the other venues to also stop serving meat I’d be against that.
Every single person I’ve met who claims to have IBS has a shit diet that is full of fatty meats and cheese, and yet claim that plant fibre or carbohydrates are the problem. I’m guessing this applies to those in this thread too.
Promoting cannibalism is wrong …. a bunch of cabbages eating cabbage.
“Eateries shouldn’t need to cater for vegans”
Eateries don’t cater for meat eaters.
“THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS”.
I guess potential student can choose to attend a different university if the student union cafe isn’t to their taste.
Vegans, you’re a joke. You eat nuts, bananas and other shit wrapped in plastic that was imported from the other side of the world and you feel ecologically superior to people, who buy meat from a local farmer. Fuck off!
Meat is only bad for the environment if you make it like a dick
The most boring university in Scotland just got a hell of a lot worse.
Vegan diets always have to add vitamins and minerals to the food to ensure it’s a balanced diet.
This is terrible for students who don’t want vegan food, or even would manage with vegetarian. This is removing the choice from a vast majority to please a small minority.
Climate crisis? From local cows who all they do is eat and poop – their poop being used as a fertiliser?! Where is this insanity going?! Because cows fart now they’re bad for the environment?! Seriously we’re all going insane. Everything is being turned upside down. We’re becoming like the poor people from Soylent green.
At least they are not putting barriers and stopping anyone who bought meat from somewhere else and taking it back to campus.
As someone who studied at Stirling Uni a few years back, I can assure you that the student union very rarely accurately represented the thoughts and views of the majority of the student population.
“Diet” comes from the Greek word “diaita”. It means ‘way of life’.
When you dictate someone’s diet, maybe you dictate their diaita.
Oh well more students going off campus for their meat fix. Nice to see a University stopping people’s freedom of choice lol
It’s getting closer to the time when others will dictate what you can or cannot eat.
This is just wrong, wrong, wrong. In fact it’s fucking wrong.
30 comments
>#Stirling University union first in UK to ban meat and dairy
>__Campus outlets will serve plant-based food only from 2025__
>Marc Horne
>Wednesday November 16 2022, 2.40pm GMT, The Times
>Students at a university that specialises in sporting excellence have become the first in the UK to ban meat and dairy products, sparking claims that it is an “attack on freedom of choice”.
>The union at the University of Stirling has committed to serving only plant-based food in campus outlets, and phasing out all forms of animal produce including cheese, cow’s milk and honey, by 2025.
>The move was proposed by the Plant-Based Universities (PBU) campaign — an offshoot of the direct action group Extinction Rebellion — and has been supported by Chris Packham, the BBC broadcaster and activist.
>A spokesman for PBU said: “Stirling Students’ Union has listened to the scientific advice from world-leading academics and is setting a gold standard in environmental policy for other universities to follow.”
>Imogen Robertson, 21, a student campaigner at Stirling, north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, said: “We will be working with catering staff to ensure this vote is implemented in a way that provides cheap, delicious, planet-saving options throughout our students’ union.
>“We hope this sparks a wave of bold action across UK universities to commit to just and sustainable plant-based catering.”
>The motion was passed last week at a union meeting attended by about 100 people.
>The university has a student population of more than 17,000 and its alumni include the Olympic swimmer Duncan Scott, the professional golfers Richie Ramsay and Catriona Matthew, Grace Dent, the food critic and broadcaster, and Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale, the former Scottish first minister.
>Aaron Caulfield, who proposed the motion, added: “I was pushed to bring this motion by the belief that universities should not be hypocritical, and should follow their own research and the research of other institutions.
>“It should also help people who would not otherwise be exposed to vegan food to expand their meat-free options within their own diet at home.”
>The campus hosts Scotland’s national swimming and tennis centres.
>At present union-run outlets sell chicken, burgers and bacon rolls, while its student handbook was previously sponsored by the fast food firm Domino’s and featured images of pepperoni pizzas.
>Packham, the host of Springwatch, tweeted his support: “Young people are doing it for themselves. This is good.”
>However, the Countryside Alliance claimed the move was illogical and illiberal.
>“This is an attack on freedom of choice imposed by a tiny number of students on the wider student body, but it is also illogical,” Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the organisation, said. “Stirling’s students’ union would be much better off sourcing sustainable local meat and dairy produce from Scottish farmers instead. How can an avocado flown in from South America have eco-superiority over a piece of grass-fed beef from a local farm?
>“Stirling University should demonstrate their support for Scottish farmers by ensuring they continue to supply meat and dairy, irrespective of what its students’ union decide to do”.
>The decision will not affect refectories and cafés run directly by the university.
>The University of Edinburgh rejected a similar proposal in a campus-wide referendum in 2020. Of the 6,000 votes cast, 58 per cent said no to imposing veganism in campus cafés and restaurants.
This is actually really inconsiderate for people who have complex eating requirements. Decarbonising food as a direction of travel is really important however bans such as this generate access issues.
People on low fodmap diets or with conditions that generate widespread intolerances such as Interstitial cystiti can struggle with a wide range of fruit/veg/pulses, these go far beyond the 13 allergens food servers are legally required to list and make purchasing food out difficult, anxiety inducing and often painful. Reducing food choice isn’t just a about what people fancy eating but what they can eat and for many folks veg and pulse laden diets do not work well.
It’s perfectly possible to reduce availability/wide range of meat/dairy without going for bans. This feels a lot like the plastic straw ban all over again, well intentioned but designed from the ground up by folks who have no conception of how this will impact people with atypical dietary requirements.
Now they’ll have their revenge on those other omnivorous students who had been forcing them to eat meat.
vegans forcing their opinion on others? who could’ve guessed
[deleted]
I have IBS. I love meat/dairy alternatives alternatives but can’t eat them much, often because they set me off massively. I cope well with lean (animal) proteins and hard cheeses, probably because they lack fibre and fibre can exacerbate IBS. I love beans but they are too fibrous, and I dislike tofu with the exception of Mapo tofu. It’s already a fucking struggle to eat away from home because I have to avoid a flare-up while commuting as is. I wouldn’t be able to eat at this university.
At the two universities that I attended, the university owned the canteens and managed the contractors, or directly employed the staff, who ran them. The student unions had nothing to do with this area, so were in no position to ban certain foods.
Banned the sale of honey 🤔 what the fuck? with the honey bee in decline everywhere they should be encouraging people to take up beekeeping not banning the sale of the product which is wholly and good for you ….
The actual motion is here if anyone wants it
[https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/pageassets/aboutus/unionmeetings/Plant-Based-Commitment-Motion.pdf](https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/pageassets/aboutus/unionmeetings/Plant-Based-Commitment-Motion.pdf)
> The motion was passed last week at a union meeting attended by about 100 people.
> The university has a student population of more than 17,000
Huh, sounds like how the Conservative Party works.
In three out of 13 eating places, after a vote by the student body. Reading the article, people.
I honestly don’t really disagree with this decision, but it is another example of why student politics is utterly fucking disgraceful. They shouldn’t have the right to make these decisions when participation is so low, and the fact that they masquerade as a legitimate democratic institution is repellant.
[deleted]
good luck to coeliac and gluten intolerant people. there’s SO little ‘fast’ food available to us as there is. taking away meat and dairy is dire
As long as it’s just the three places, fair enough but if they start pressuring the other venues to also stop serving meat I’d be against that.
Every single person I’ve met who claims to have IBS has a shit diet that is full of fatty meats and cheese, and yet claim that plant fibre or carbohydrates are the problem. I’m guessing this applies to those in this thread too.
Promoting cannibalism is wrong …. a bunch of cabbages eating cabbage.
“Eateries shouldn’t need to cater for vegans”
Eateries don’t cater for meat eaters.
“THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS”.
I guess potential student can choose to attend a different university if the student union cafe isn’t to their taste.
Vegans, you’re a joke. You eat nuts, bananas and other shit wrapped in plastic that was imported from the other side of the world and you feel ecologically superior to people, who buy meat from a local farmer. Fuck off!
Meat is only bad for the environment if you make it like a dick
The most boring university in Scotland just got a hell of a lot worse.
Vegan diets always have to add vitamins and minerals to the food to ensure it’s a balanced diet.
This is terrible for students who don’t want vegan food, or even would manage with vegetarian. This is removing the choice from a vast majority to please a small minority.
Climate crisis? From local cows who all they do is eat and poop – their poop being used as a fertiliser?! Where is this insanity going?! Because cows fart now they’re bad for the environment?! Seriously we’re all going insane. Everything is being turned upside down. We’re becoming like the poor people from Soylent green.
At least they are not putting barriers and stopping anyone who bought meat from somewhere else and taking it back to campus.
As someone who studied at Stirling Uni a few years back, I can assure you that the student union very rarely accurately represented the thoughts and views of the majority of the student population.
“Diet” comes from the Greek word “diaita”. It means ‘way of life’.
When you dictate someone’s diet, maybe you dictate their diaita.
Oh well more students going off campus for their meat fix. Nice to see a University stopping people’s freedom of choice lol
It’s getting closer to the time when others will dictate what you can or cannot eat.
This is just wrong, wrong, wrong. In fact it’s fucking wrong.