Local residents with a Plant-Based Councils banner outside New County Hall before the Full Council meeting
On 16/07/2024 at the Full Council of Cornwall Council, local residents and supporters of the Plant-Based Councils campaign asked the council to ensure that all food and drink provided at council meetings and events is 100% plant-based, as the logical and necessary next step after declaring a climate emergency [1].
They also urged the council to support local farmers to transition to more sustainable plant-based farming.
Several other UK councils have already made the commitment to 100% plant-based catering, including Oxfordshire, Cambridge and Exeter [2].
St. Austell residents, Chrys McLaren & Steven Barnes, attended a full council meeting for Cornwall Council at New County Hall on Tuesday 16/07/2024 to ask the council to lead by example and ensure any catering provided at internal council events is 100% plant-based [3].
Barnes, a small business owner, asked:
“As there is clear evidence to show that even the most impactful plant-based foods have a significantly lower carbon footprint than even the least impactful meat and dairy, will the council commit to a plant-based menu in its internal catering, and promote plant-based menus where it has influence?”
Councillor David Harris, Deputy Leader of the council and portfolio holder for resources, responded by welcoming a fellow councillor to put forward a motion to the effect of Barnes’ request, but said that he would not personally be supportive of such a motion.
McLaren, a writer, also spoke at the meeting, bringing the focus of the discussion onto the needs of the local farming community. She asked:
“Climate experts agree our food system isn’t sustainable, half of our arable land is used for livestock farming; an immense contributor to the climate crisis. Farmers could play a role in meeting net zero targets and transitioning towards a more sustainable system. Will you support animal farmers to make changes?”
Portfolio holder for environment and climate change, Councillor Martyn Alvey, responded that he was in agreement that “some farming practices involving animals are unsustainable, however [they] support the most sustainable animal agriculture practices that [they] possibly can.”
This statement is in contrast to what leading climate scientists have said - that even the very lowest impact meat and dairy products still cause much more environmental harm than the least sustainable plant-based products [4].
After the meeting, Barnes said:
“Going plant-based is low-hanging fruit, a difference everyone can make, and a massive potential win for Cornwall Council in the battle against climate change.”
Both Barnes and McLaren are local campaigners for the national Plant-Based Councils campaign which believes that local authorities have an opportunity and a duty to lead the way in normalising and legitimising plant-based eating - a fundamental part of tackling the climate crisis.
Similar questions have been asked of other councils across the UK and motions have been carried by progressive councils such as Exeter City Council which, in December 2022, voted to serve only plant-based foods at council meetings and events [5].
This month will see two more Full Council debates for similar plant-based motions due to lobbying from Plant-Based Councils teams. Today there will be a debate on a motion in North Devon that proposes serving 100% plant-based catering for internal meetings and events. This has been met with intense backlash from the local farming community who have organised a protest in response [6]. Last month, the Cabinet in Calderdale Council voted unanimously to recommend a plant-based policy committing to 100% plant-based food in internal catering that is set to be debated by the full council on 24/07/24 [7].
Plant-Based Councils, an Animal Rising campaign, is a national initiative of local residents who are pushing for their councils to adopt 100% plant-based catering. The campaign is active in 32 councils, with the group encouraging interested residents to sign up to run a local campaign on their website - www.plantbasedcouncils.org/join.
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For more information or further comments, please contact press@plantbasedcouncils.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] The Plant-Based Councils campaign aims to address the climate emergency starting with the food on our plates. Working with councils across the UK to encourage them to lead the way in the switch from emission heavy foods to plant-based ones that are better for health, our planet and reducing the impact from the cost of living crisis. www.plantbasedcouncils.org
[2] Councils Go Vegan - In The UK And Worldwide: https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/vegan-councils/?utm_source=PETA%20UK::Google&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=1120::gen::PETA%20UK::Google::s-grant-awa-dsa::::searchad&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhb60BhClARIsABGGtw-DV6-girOIl_9hvbnpSV4DEopCzN02Q2_4qGA00TViOoD8SYnZqpcaAoD-EALw_wcB
[3] Cornwall Council, meeting of full council, 16th July 2024: agenda, public forum, recording of Barnes' question and recording of McLaren's question.
[4] “Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth”: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth#:~:text=Other%20recent%20research%20shows%2086,sustainable%20vegetable%20and%20cereal%20growing.
[5] Exeter City Council votes to serve 100% plant-based food at catered meetings: https://news.exeter.gov.uk/council-pledges-to-raise-awareness-of-the-benefits-of-plant-based-food/
[6] North Devon set to debate plant-based motion today 17/07/24: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/green-north-devon-councillor-sparks-9408300
[7] Calderdale Council plant-based policy: https://veganfta.com/2024/06/10/cabinet-recommends-plant-based-catering-policy-to-calderdale-council-england/
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