[The Fountain] Turning all cafeterias on campus vegan
AHN CHAK-HEEThe author is the head of the global cooperation team of the JoongAng Ilbo.
The University of Cambridge had a controversy over food recently. Last week, the university students’ union voted on turning all cafeterias on campus vegan, using only plant-based ingredients. A whopping 72 percent of the student representatives approved it.
The student union explained that the decision was “in response to climate and biodiversity crises” and it will begin a full conversation with the university authorities about the drastic change. The attention is on whether all animal products, not only meat but also dairy, will disappear from the menu in Cambridge’s catering services.
This is not the first time the university had a food-related issue. In 2016, it removed beef and lamb from all food services on campus with the intention of reducing the impact of the ruminant animal industry on climate change.
A British person consumes 82 kilograms (181 pounds) of meat a year on average, nearly double the world average. Beef and lamb are their favorite meats.
The University of Oxford made the same decision three years ago and debates and backlash followed.
The trend of British universities turning vegan is led by a national student group called “Plant-Based Universities.” The group proclaimed an audacious goal to remove animal-based ingredients from all menus offered in colleges in the UK by 2024 to reduce the impact on the environment and show the world the will for sustainability.
They contend that intellectuals in universities who lead the research to stop environmental destruction should no longer turn a blind eye to the adverse effects of food on the planet. Students in the Netherlands and Australia are willing to join the movement after being convinced by the argument.
It is widely known that global warming gas emitted by livestock, fisheries and dairy industries worldwide is greater than the total emissions of the entire transportation industry such as automobiles, aviation and railways.
In reality, when the global population increases by 1 percent, the number of animals in the livestock industry increases by 2 percent. The vicious cycle continues.
Here, I am reminded of a message advocated by the World Resources Institute, a renowned American non-profit environmental research institute. “Swapping just one meat dish for a plant-based one saves greenhouse gas emissions that are equivalent to the energy used to charge your phone for two years.” It is convincing that a small change can bring big impacts.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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