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Having undertaken an analysis of food trends for the BSc cohort from 2012 to 2024, I would be nervous for our NSS scores for taking this catering approach. The current trends in our student population are actually towards less vegetarians and vegans are very rare. Things like the pizza celebrations and cakes for SSLC are a way to show we care and we might not be able to use these as incentives for students were they to be fully vegan.

More generally, if the focus of providing food for meetings and things is to encourage people to come together, then going to a less inclusive form of reward goes against the ethos of providing the reward in the first place.

(Jo, former BSc Programme Leader)

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I disagree with this proposal. It is not inclusive (which is reason enough to reject) and is draconian re. individual choice. The proposal would limit food options during networking events. This may baffle visitors and is not collegial. It follows that I also disagree that we should dispose of catering altogether (as elsewhere suggested on this padlet). I certainly agree, though, that we should only utilise sustainable suppliers. Further, I don't believe that the sound evidence on greenhouse gas emissions for meat based diets is sufficient reason to enact such policy when cultivated (lab produced) meat products are likely to become available for human consumption in the next few years, mitigating the climate issues. For now, let's keep all food options available so that every taste (and dietary need) are catered for - focus on sustainable supply chains - and then review policy when cultivated meat becomes widely available.

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I do not support this proposal for the following 4 reasons.

1. As the paper points out the C emissions scenarios depend upon the full food profile (all foods and packaging) and where you are relative to sources and suppliers. This analysis has not been carried out, unless I have missed it.

2. We would have to vet the plant-based foods (we should now even) so no palm oil (hard), soya (hard), avocados (easy), and many more. Unfortunately may mass-used plants are even more damaging to our environment than animals can be.

3. Lastly probably unlike most of you I farm (now in North Norway) and my grass feeds about 30 sheep a year.. used for meat locally..(which is the lowest C emitting possibility in this environment) so to agree to such a blanket proposal would be hypocritical I feel.

4. Lastly I think this is very much a decision that should be up to the individual and not one that should be dictated to all..

TB

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I don't know why this hasn't been done already! Given our institutional and academic focus on sustainability it seems rather anachronistic to still be serving animal products. If people really can't live without ham they are welcome to bring their own

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I support this proposal. In line with a few of the other responses, I suggest that the new catering approach is put forward as an opt-out system, i.e. an inverse(ish) of the current system that is opt-in for plant-based. That the default SOGES catering is plant-based, but there is always an option to opt-out to vegetarian or meat-based. This changes SOGES' default position on the environmental/carbon/animal cost of catering, but does not limit individuals' dietary preferences or requirements.

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Unfortunately because I am intolerant to gluten, some pea proteins, some nightshades, and can’t eat soy due to medication interactions, eating a solely vegetarian/vegan diet can get quite difficult for me.

Maybe a focus on reducing waste and using locally sourced foods could be a good middle ground?

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Not really directly relevant, but loving how many of the contributors are framing catered food as 'free'. Cuckoo!

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I'd be in favour of going fully vegetarian for catered events rather than vegan. Vegan alternatives for things like milk, cheese and meat can be highly processed and contain lots of additives/preservatives which people should be given a choice to avoid. Also, I think that having reusable or compostable packaging should be introduced as standard for catered events as the plastic/non-recyclable waste from events can be substantial.

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Thank you to the proposers for this thoughtful and well-intentioned suggestion. As a School committed to sustainability and evidence-led action, I strongly support our efforts to reflect the values we espouse in our research and teaching. However, I would like to offer a constructive challenge to the framing and assumptions of this proposal, particularly from the perspective of environmental systems thinking and the carbon impacts of institutional provisioning.

If our aim is genuinely to reduce the carbon footprint of School events, then I would suggest that a more impactful step than shifting to plant-based catering might be to reconsider the very practice of catering itself. The embedded emissions associated with meeting catering, whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous, are not limited to the lifecycle impacts of the food items themselves, but include the broader supporting infrastructure: energy use in preparation, cold storage, packaging, transport and delivery logistics, and post-event food waste and disposal. These often-overlooked upstream and downstream components can represent a significant proportion of the total carbon and ecological footprint of event catering.

In that light, the most sustainable option may be to discontinue catered provision altogether and encourage colleagues to bring their own food. Such a move would also shift responsibility from institutional to individual choice in a way that aligns with autonomy and inclusivity, particularly in the context of diverse dietary needs shaped by medical, cultural, or religious factors. Furthermore, this would eliminate the performative dimensions of institutional sustainability gestures, in which carbon reductions are claimed via relatively small, visible changes while more structurally significant impacts (e.g. building energy use, academic travel, digital infrastructure) remain untouched or are even growing.

While I acknowledge the symbolic importance of plant-based catering as a form of institutional signalling, symbolism alone is insufficient. There is a risk of overstating the climate efficacy of such measures when they are not embedded within a wider systems-based mitigation strategy. Arguably, institutional sustainability efforts should aim not just to change what is served, but to ask why we serve at all, and whether such provisioning can be justified environmentally in an era of accelerating planetary crisis.

To be clear, this is not an argument against plant-based diets per se. The literature is unequivocal that animal agriculture, particularly ruminant livestock, contributes disproportionately to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and biodiversity loss. However, the substitution of one catering model for another does not address the underlying carbon implications of organising food service as a default institutional practice. Nor does it address the broader ethical challenge of ensuring that our sustainability efforts are not reduced to technocratic or tokenistic interventions, but instead form part of a deeper reconsideration of consumption, entitlement, and organisational norms.

I would therefore support a reframing of this proposal toward a more radical, and arguably more sustainable, position: the elimination of catering at routine internal events, accompanied by an invitation for individuals to provide for themselves in line with their own values and needs. This would set a bolder example of climate leadership and demonstrate that our commitment to sustainability extends beyond dietary symbolism to include the more difficult but necessary task of institutional self-restraint.

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As a vegetarian I support the intention but agree a diet should be inclusive and not dictated. Perhaps, similarly to how vegans/vegetarians have to request their options, we just flip it so those to want meat can request it but the default is veggie. Equally, the majority of carbon reduction from diet comes from not eating beef/lamb and cheese and dairy are comparable to chicken/fish - so what about offering meat options which are lower carbon?

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I would support a switch to either fully vegetarian or fully vegan catering. This will reduce the school's carbon footprint, as well as reducing catering costs.

Although I am a meat eater, I eat plenty of meat-free dishes and doing so at SoGES events would be no skin off my nose.

If others feel strongly that they cannot go without meat, they can always bring their own food to catered events.

If this change does go ahead, I would like to see it go hand-in-hand with an increase in the quality and variety of vegan options provided by the catering team.

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I fully support this decision. It seems as a department we are behind other universities with this. From my experience of organising events it is in fact always the meat tray of sandwiches/wraps which is left over despite only 1 tray being ordered. This is one free meal every now and again and no one is asking anyone to change their lifestyle.

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As raised before, vegetarian food can be consumed safely by the majority of people and allergies, etc. can of course be taken into account when preparing veggie meals and no one is suggesting otherwise. I also often find that colleagues who eat meat choose both meat and vegetarian options at catered events. There is always demand for non-meat options. These are occasional meals, free and non-compulsory. Realistically, this is an extremely small proportion of individual diet , not a threat to anyone's personal freedom.

We all know about climate change with plenty of evidence / expert recommendations linked above, and while not everyone agrees about the impact of individual choices, if the School moved to veggie catering we might help kickstart the change at university level - surely that would be impactful.

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It's free food that's generally a bonus, none of us rely on it and I think we are overthinking the switch. No one can't eat veggie, so as long as any specific dietary requirements are met this is really low personal impact in the scheme of things. If this has already been trialled and no one commented negatively that says enough. If you are that bothered, bring some meat from home to add to your sandwich. Chris

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In my experience the plant-based food offered by University catering has been poor quality and tasteless with limited choice - too much of it is highly processed. At the moment I would not want to inflict it on external visitors.

Could we still be allowed dairy milk in hot drinks?

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I’d suggest that plant-based catering can actually enhance inclusivity in many ways. It accommodates a wider range of dietary needs (including religious, ethical, and health-related restrictions) without excluding those who choose to eat meat outside of these events. Since these are occasional, free meals, no one is being asked to change their lifestyle, just to participate in a shared experience that aligns with sustainability goals.

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I am not in favour for this proposal. I don't see this as inclusive at all. Having alternative options for allergies, intolerances and preferences makes the most happy and there should be a varied choice, forcing a plant based diet is not equal or inclusive.

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Plant-based food can be consumed by people of all backgrounds, including meat-eaters, vegetarians, vegans, many religious groups, and those with common intolerances (e.g. dairy). By contrast, meat and dairy-based catering automatically excludes many of these groups. Allergy issues are very important, and are not unique to plant-based foods.

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I support this. Vegetarianism has been the norm on the last 5 UKRI funded projects that I have been involved in related to climate. I think the points that have been raised are absolutely valid about freedom of choice etc. and are super interesting in terms of the broader context - thanks for the references which I will certainly look up. I just take the question to be very specifically about our school. The evidence is fairly solid Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK | Climatic Change around GHG savings. The alternative is that if we can't reach a consensus maybe we could vote with our mouths!

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Based on my experience, the leftovers are mostly vegan food.

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If people would rather take a carbon/environment based approach than animal welfare, perhaps we should go a step further and ask for sustainable/locally sourced produce.

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Lots of people seem to be upset that this would impose a plant-based diet... it's only one meal every once in a while!

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One group could trial this for their next large meeting and then report back on the uptake, food wastage, choices available, comments received etc.

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I don't feel like it is a fair option to introduce a vegan / plant-based option only. A lot of the options are more processed than meat / seafood options and also not as healthy for you. I also don't agree with people's choices been taken away from them. Everyone has the right to choose their preferred diet. If there has to be a change than a move towards vegetarian would be a fair middle ground, however, this still feels a step too far. Also if you introduce a ban on meat / seafood catering options, is the next movement going to be telling people they can't bring meat / seafood / animal products into the building to eat in the staff room or shared office spaces?!

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Ok, I've seen the email chain begin to kick off and I think we need to add some perspective. I appreciate the coloniality and inclusivity points being raised, they're very important. However, we're talking about free food at largely non-compulsory internal events. So long as what's on offer is nutritious, reasonably tasty, and meets peoples dietary (religious, medical or otherwise) I think we can chill. This happened at my previous institution and it was fine, the world didn't end and people were happy. We're very, very far from conversations about freedom of choice or global projections of power.

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I also fully support this proposal as it is in line with the growing evidence on a plan based diets and its benefits for health and the planet. One thing to look out for is that the plant-based options should also be heathy, contain protein and not be overly processed. (e.g. for sandwiches use chickpeas and whole foods instead of the highly fatty and processed vegan cheeses)

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I fully support this proposal as a necessary step in addressing the climate emergency. Small changes matter, and this is a straightforward way to reduce our department's emissions. Frankly, I find it deeply concerning that there is such resistance to this minor change within a Geography department. If we cannot even agree on this, it highlights the profound apathy towards climate action that exists beyond our walls.

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While I appreciate the intention behind this proposal - and I share many of the concerns about climate change and sustainability - I remain sceptical about whether a mandatory plant-based catering policy is the most inclusive or effective route for our School.

Firstly, the framing of this proposal as a “modest” step risks downplaying its symbolic and practical impact. It’s not merely about food at meetings - it signals a shift in institutional values that, while rooted in scientific concern, risks being perceived as moralising or coercive. The tone - while well-meaning - suggests that disagreement with the principle equates to disregard for climate action, which oversimplifies a complex ethical and cultural debate.

Secondly, this kind of blanket policy could unintentionally exclude or alienate staff and students who feel strongly about dietary autonomy, cultural food traditions, or health-related preferences. While the proposal stresses this is not about personal diet, the practical effect is that it does impact people’s experience of communal events. We should be wary of creating an environment where only one set of values appears institutionally validated, especially in a diverse School.

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I would support the move to a vegetarian approach as opposed to vegan as to provide some diversity and options. Please note some plant based dairy replacements such as almond and soy can be highly socially and environmentally destructive

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I’m not 100% convinced by a plant-based diet as a sustainability move per se. Yes, I totally see an argument of ethics in animal welfare, but I feel discomfort with the way veganism/plant based-ism is forced on us here in the UK when it is quite a Western/Global North matter which hasn’t been fully explored yet in global, ethnicity or privilege context. The matter of the industrialised production of meats and agriculture alongside capitalism per se is the problem to be discussed. here's some peer reviewed articles to throw into the mix:

Amy Trauger, The vegan industrial complex: the political ecology of not eating animals, Journal of Political Ecology (2022).

TLTR: “The avoidance of accountability for harm, through a facile association with ethics and a plant-based diet, generates more harm to societies and the environment than it prevents”.

Kortetmäki, T. and Oksanen, M. (2021) ‘Is there a convincing case for climate veganism’, Agriculture and Human Values, 38(3), pp. 729–740.

TLTR: “it is hard to formulate a climatic argument that would convincingly create a moral obligation to strict veganism as a conclusion”

Dorgbetor, I.K. et al. (2022) ‘What If the World Went Vegan? A Review of the Impact on Natural Resources, Climate Change, and Economies’, Agriculture, 12(10), p. 1518.

TLTR: “The food chain and food web are natural phenomena, and to sustainably go with the status quo in food production is ideal for nature and the climate (not vegan led agriculture)”.

In the spirit of critique, I'm not wholly convinced by a global vegan diet which appears to be a mainly  Eurocentric matter (yes i'm implying we read coloniality into this). There is a nuanced debate about universal impact, i.e. impacts in the Global South.  I can send you masses of stuff on racial capitalism and colonialism if you like. We should have a focus on real impacts like taxing billionaires instead.

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I think this is a very good idea and that the School should definitely be leading the way on this. We should all be reducing our meat and dairy consumption and this is an easy low effort way for us to do so. I struggle to reduce my dairy consumption, particularly milk in tea and coffee, and having non-dairy milk (I find oat milk the most similar) in our events would help me to do so - having an occasional different kind of tea/coffee can be a good change, without having to give up cows milk completely. There are a few comments about reduced choice, but switching to plant-based catering would increase the choice of plant-based options (which can be v limited even in veggie catered events) which are accessible to more people (including meeting some religious requirements). There is also a comment about the need to assess the environmental impact of the plant-based alternatives. While this is true, it's worth remembering that much of the current meat and dairy-based catering is equally likely to contain palm oil etc while the majority of soya is grown to feed animals. Switching to plant-based catering is not the only thing we could do to reduce the environmental and carbon impact of our catering but it is the (very big) first step

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I am in support of this proposal. I have spent some time at Cardiff University where the university catering is all veggie and plant-based and they were the busiest food outlets on campus with queues every lunchtime. They had an excellent range of vegan options (and super tasty and healthy too) in their cafes and were always sold out after lunchtime. I know this proposal is only for catered meetings/events in SoGES, and this is a great first (small) step in the right direction. We have a few sustainability groups on campus, and with lots of climate-focussed and environmental research across the university, plant-based is something we should definitely be adopting.

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Thank you for putting this idea out there. As a school, we have been largely vegetarian for a long while now. To me, plant-based School events is a small change and logical next step.

With respect, I have to share that I’ve personally found some responses to be quite disheartening. If those of us working at the forefront of sustainability research are unwilling to make small changes, like having an occasional tea/coffee that isn’t quite to our liking, then it’s hard not to worry about broader society's capacity to enact the much larger transformations the climate crisis demand.

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In principal I'm happy to go along with this, but it needs to be a good choice of veggie alternatives. I for example find all plants pertaining to the Brassica genus very unpleasant tasting, so if it was cauliflower hot wings on offer I would rather starve!

As a non-veggie I find substitutes often not that great, e.g. soya milk. I would prefer cows milk but happily accept the organic option.

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I do not support this proposal, mainly for the reasons others have mentioned (taking away choice is stick rather than carrot). I'd far rather see a focus on ensuring we use sustainable suppliers (am aware of others institutes that have done this) where they can evidence their sustainable credentials in terms of what and how food is produced and served.

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I'm largely in favour of this despite not being veggie or vegan myself. However, I would want to see that serious steps had been taken to consider allergies and other dietary requirements. Maybe vegetarian would be an easier sell initially. It would also require more creativity from catering suppliers, as plant-based options are currently woeful. That said, this would be a modest step and one that does not in any way infringe upon freedom of choice.

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I would strongly support a move to vegetarian catering as standard, with a wider selection of vegan options in terms of food / nibbles. However, as others have mentioned, plant based milk in tea is, to me and many others, not an acceptable alternative to dairy.

In terms of bringing about manageable change, vegetarian as standard seems a more palatable option for many reasons [pun intended].

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I am opposed to this proposal. Whilst I understand the importance of adopting a more sustainable diet, I don't think forcing a plant-based diet upon individuals is the correct approach. Encouraging people to make decisions on their own will have far more impact in the long-run than taking the choice away from people.

I can see the merit in opting for predominantly vegetarian options, or even a mostly plant-based selection, but I don't think offering only plant-based options is a good solution. With department events, offering catering is a tool that is used by many to boost attendance numbers and also show appreciation to the attendees for giving up their time. I think that offering only plant-based catering options would decrease the appeal of this and may even lead to increased food waste.

This proposal also does not consider the fact that some individuals may have limited or restricted diets in which non-vegan options may be the best suited for them.

Overall, it is best to educate and encourage people to make more sustainable choices, rather than force them into doing so.

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I'd happily support vegetarian as a compromise. Unfortunately, vegan cheese substitutes are just not it and I would like to keep the purple chocolate biscuits as those are very tasty....

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I'm not in support of fully plant-based catering since the current plant only-based alternatives are not tasty or healthy. It would also mean giving up seafood, eggs and cheese options. Vegan items have not gone down well in our group and tend to be more expensive. I've seen gluten-free and vegan sandwich platters always left mostly uneaten. Also, why was the crudites/veggie platter taken away? There are no options for salad or veggie side dishes now. If the majority did support going fully plant-based what will happen to those 'rogue' groups that want to continue ordering some non-plant-based catering?

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I am in support of the proposal. Its great to see the effort to make the school more sustainable, given the research topics and themes within the school. I don't think a plant-based approach to school catering is taking away personal food choices as the proposal isn't asking people to make lifestyle changes. Catered meetings/events don't happen terribly often so it would be a plant-based lunch/snack every now and then. Plant-based foods are generally the most inclusive to many religions and beliefs. For those with food allergies, they can be catered for by the catering department as they already have experience with this (there are nut-, soy-, gluten - etc. free plant-based options available).

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Whilst I am not a vegan, I would be OK with vegan catering, provided the supplier is environmentally audited to ensure the carbon footprint is actually lower, as this is not always guaranteed (e.g. if palm oil is still used).

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I'm not in support of a fully plant based menu. Vegan substitutes for milk are not good in tea and coffee. I would suggest a middle ground of making catering vegetarian if going down this route. It does feel like people's personal food choices are been taken away from them though if a plant-based only option is implemented.

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100% support the proposal, for all the well-articulated reasons laid out in the proposal email. Thank you for leading on this :)

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I'm not in favour, though would be all-in for going fully vegetarian:

as another poster mentioned, food allergies can make only vegan really hard for people with allergies to nuts, gluten or similar.

I love cheese in any of its forms far too much.

I do also fully support the other posters points about using more reusable china / cutlery and that properly insulating the building (+ changing out the windows) - both should be a high priority as well.

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I would agree with this proposal and if we can make it work in SoGES and show that it is welcomed and successful then we could make an argument for the whole Faculty to adopt it as well.

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I would be very happy with all plant-based catering, as long as an effort is made to have options for those with dietary restrictions (gluten free etc.). Would also be happy with all vegetarian catering as an intermediate or more moderate compromise, if there are those that would find a transition to all plant based food a bit too much. Agree with the comment about needing to discuss practicalities with catering team.

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I think this is a great idea. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian but I'm open to trying new things. This isn't asking for a lifestyle change of people, just a plant-based lunch every now and then. Beyond animal welfare, plant-based food is often healthier and better for the planet, which the University could endorse as part of its aims to achieve Net 0. Plus, it will still be tasty, and you can still have cakes/pastries/biscuits!

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I too am not vegan/vegetarian but I strongly support this proposal. I think it would need to be discussed with the Uni catering team as they would have to increase their choices of vegan menus and produce it to a good standard to keep everyone happy. You could also address the issue with them of using more china crockery and less of the disposable ones that they use in their serveries but that's another issue ;)

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As this relates only to internal school event catering (e.g: not to canteen/onsite food outlets). I am 100% behind the proposal. Event catering is limited by necessity anyway and it really should make no difference to anyone - this is not food people usually pay for but free provisions. I see no removal of anyone's choice in this action as event catering is rarely comprehensive to all tastes in any situation. I would support also a far wider plant-based choice in the cafes/bars/shops although I am a light meat eater.

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I am sympathetic but not overall in favour because for people with food allergies / intolerances, an entirely plant-based diet adds an extra layer of restrictions and difficulties.

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I personally would like to see choice retained within the catering options as I don’t believe the university should dictate diet. I would welcome the university reducing its meat options by at least the 30% recommended by the national food strategy and offering more vegetarian options however a ‘one size fits all’ approach to dietary options is not an inclusive policy.

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I'm not vegetarian / vegan myself, but I strongly support this proposal - it seems a relatively easy change for us compared to insulating the building etc. Responding to another post, I think it would be hard to abandon all food catering in its entirety, e.g. where we are hosting external people travelling to be with us and given their expectations on arrival.

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I strongly support this proposal. I think it would be a small but positive step if the School catered plant-only options. I think it would demonstrate leadership and would normalise plant-based eating.

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I am not in favour of this proposal, because it does not go far enough. We should simply abandon all provided catering (food; drinks would be OK) for internal meetings/events. The biggest environmental impact of our catered events is not whether the food is plant-based or other, but the huge volume of wasted left over food involved. No catering = no waste = a bigger, more meaningful, step towards the goal we wish to achieve.