First northern council goes vegan
The campaign to move councils to 100% plant based catering reaches Yorkshire
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council in West Yorkshire has committed to 100% plant-based catering at internal meetings and events.
It joins three other councils to make the pledge as part of its climate emergency action and is the first in northern England to do so.
The commitment came as a result of ongoing campaigning by residents and supporters of Plant-Based Councils and Plant Based Treaty, who are eager to see local councils take bold climate action on food.
Liz Readle, 68, a retired university teacher addressed councillors on Calderdale Council:
“The climate emergency affects us all. Increasing the consumption of plant based foods is vital in order to meet net zero targets and reduce biodiversity loss, water pollution and antibiotic resistance. To change our food system we need to support food growers and help animal farmers to transition to sustainable plant based farming.”
The move has not been without controversy locally with Conservative group leader Coun Steven Leigh (Ryburn) saying his group disagreed with the nature of the decision.
John Greenwood of the Halifax Courier reported on the meeting where the reasons for taking the vegan move were explained by cabinet member for Climate Action and Housing, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot). He pointed to issues such as air miles and climate change, bringing warmer summers and winters, meant more types of beans were being grown in the country.
The change has also drawn criticism from the Countryside Alliance and the Farmers’ Guardian which described it as sending 'dangerous and false' signal about livestock farming.
What is happening elsewhere?
Moving to plant based catering was also agreed at Hackney Borough Council, Dacorum Borough Council and Forest of Dean District Council.
Other UK councils have made similar commitments, including Exeter City, Oxfordshire County, Oxford City and Cambridge City Councils according to Plant-Based Councils, a national initiative of local residents who are pushing for their councils to adopt 100% plant-based catering and implement a Plant-Based Action Plan.
The group claims that local authorities have a responsibility to follow the current scientific consensus, which acknowledges the environmental, health, and cost benefits of plant-based meals over those containing meat and dairy. The campaign is active in over 32 councils, with the group encouraging interested residents to sign up to run a local campaign.
Leeds, Wakefield and York have ongoing citizen campaigns going on and Plant-Based Councils is encouraging other groups to join them via a map at their website here.
In North Yorkshire, councillors voted on the issue back in 2022 when the idea was rejected. Stuart Minting reported at the time at RichmondshireToday that North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) rejected calls to limit the millions of meals it offers every year to vegan ones to help cut carbon emissions and costs while improving people’s health.
In light of the moves in other parts of the country, we asked NYCC if that decision might be reviewed. North Yorkshire Council’s Commercial Director, Richard Bradley, said: “We offer a plant-based menu as a daily option in all our sites upon request, which runs alongside our core menu.
“We have included a homemade sausage roll on our new autumn menu which is produced from plant-based ingredients and the recipe has been adapted to create meatballs.
“If the feedback from these dishes is positive, we will look to develop and create more alternative dishes. These dishes are being offered for diet and nutrition reasons and to keep costs down for parents.”
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