Three parties advocate for a fully plant-based campus in the UU Council

Christina van Beek, from Plant-Based Universities, and councillor Rina Heirbaut outline a long-term vision on behalf of the parties Vuur, Student Coalition Utrecht (SCU) and Rups regarding the food they believe should be available on university campuses. The students call on the Executive Board to investigate how the university can switch to fully plant-based catering from 2028 onwards.

According to these councillors, such a switch is "a climate necessity". Rina, from Lijst Vuur: "The transition to plant-based food is the most effective and direct way to be climate neutral by 2030." She is referring to the university's own ambitions.

According to her, plant-based meals have a significantly lower carbon footprint than meat dishes and a third of the footprint of vegetarian meals. "A plant-based food system is the most sustainable option," adds Christina. "A meta-analysis showed that with a plant-based food system, you can return about 75 per cent of the current agricultural land to nature. This land is now used for the animal feed industry or for grazing livestock."

In the memorandum, the students request that the feasibility of a fully plant-based offering be investigated and that it be included in the tender for a caterer when the contract with the current caterer, Eurest, expires in the summer of 2028. The councillors also insist that the current caterers be actively encouraged to accelerate the shift to a plant-based menu.

Collaboration with Eurest
"Eurest already offers plant-based options on a regular basis, but these are more expensive or just as expensive as the meat options. And that's not realistic," says Christina. After all, plant-based options are often cheaper in terms of cost. "This should be taken into account in a new tender. The university can set its own requirements in this regard."

To introduce UU students to vegan options, an initiative titled De Pit will start next year, where student volunteers will prepare inexpensive daily meals in the Educatorium building at Utrecht Science Park. “It's a difference we can already make, and it shows how we can give students back control over sustainable and affordable food,” says Christina.

Putting pressure on the university
The students also want to ensure that the university achieves its ambitions. The 2024 Sustainability Plan for Business Operations states that 80 per cent of lunches must be plant-based this year. "However, figures from caterer Eurest show that the percentage is stuck at around 62 per cent," says Christina. By submitting this proposal now, the students primarily aim to pressure the Executive Board to achieve its own sustainability goals. "By demanding 100 per cent plant-based food, we hope that the university will at least achieve 80 per cent," reasons Rina. "The university's motto isTowards a sustainable society for a reason."

Christina and Rina feel encouraged by the fact that 759 students, 131 staff members, and 38 UU scientists have signed their petition for a vegan university. “When UU starts working on our memorandum, it can be a leader in the Netherlands,” adds Rina. “In Europe, only twenty universities have adopted similar motions or are already in the implementation phase.”

Better for the environment and your wallet
Christina and Rina emphasise that this shift is not only a moral or ecological issue, but also an economic one. In the memorandum, the students cite examples of vegan meals that cost a third as much as meat-based meals. "Thanks to the efforts of Plant-Based Universities and the Antikantine action group, a new canteen was opened at the University of Amsterdam in February, where you can buy a plant-based meal for 4.50 euros."

Christina believes that cheaper meals may also attract students who prefer meat but feel constrained in their food choices. She explains that free plant-based meals were served at Educatorium during Science Week as part of a pop-up event organised by De Pit. "The feedback we received was very positive and people really enjoyed it," says Rina. "People are just not very familiar with plant-based food yet," adds Christina. Student Coalition Utrecht also believes that a plant-based offering is much more inclusive. More plant-based options also mean a greater halal offering, according to the students.

DUB also asked UU students what they thought of the idea of making all canteens completely plant-based.