Farming groups have expressed their anger after students at Stirling University voted to have meat and dairy banned from campus food outlets.
The move comes following a meeting was held last week to debate the issue. The motion to transition to 100 per cent plant-based catering by 2025 was passed after a majority of the 100 students present - the university currently has a cohort of around 17,000 - voted in favour.
The motion was proposed by Aaron Caulfield and asked students to back the plan which advocated for: A transition towards a plant-based food system begin within Stirling Students Union, with the intention of 50 per cent plant-based being achieved by the beginning of the 2023/24 Academic Year - with 100 per cent to be achieved in no later than 2025.
However, rural pressure group the Countryside Alliance has called on the university to reconsider the illogical ban and focus instead on supplying students with locally sourced meat and dairy.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the organisation said: This is an attack on freedom of choice imposed by a tiny number of students on the wider student body, but it is also illogical.
Stirlings Students Union would be much better off sourcing sustainable local meat and dairy produce from Scottish farmers instead. How can an avocado flown in from South America have eco-superiority over a piece of grass fed beef from a local farm?StirlingUniversity should demonstrate their support for Scottish farmers by ensuring they continue to supply meat and dairy, irrespective of what its students union decide to do.
The meat-free campaign was organised by Stirling representatives of the Plant-Based Universities movement, which is backed by the Animal Rebellion pressure group and aims to convince student unions opt for plant-based menus.
The campaign is supported by the Animal Rebellion pressure group, which has recently launched a series of milk-spilling event at supermarkets across England.
A spokesperson for the University of Stirling Students Union said: "Following a discussion by members present, the motion was voted on and passed. It was noted at the meeting that as the motion would have a commercial implication for the charity, this would require further scrutiny to establish how the Union could move towards supporting the proposal. We are confident that given the current policy we will be able to work positively with the motions direction as directed by our members."
