Compulsory Meat In Schools Should Be Scrapped, Says Dale Vince

The Ecotricity founder has said that schools shouldn’t be required to serve meat and dairy

24th September 2024

3 Minutes Read

Dale Vince, the founder of green energy firm Ecotricity, has said that English schools should not be required to serve meat and dairy.

As reported by the BBC, Vince was speaking at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference, which is currently taking place in Liverpool. He said that one of his companies, Devil’s Kitchen, supplies vegan food to a quarter of UK primary schools, but that some schools want to “go further.”

According to Vince, a number of schools want to reduce or eliminate animal products, but the “law of the land” prevents them from doing so. “I am hoping to have a conversation with the new government to encourage them to change the law,” he said.

Currently, schools in England are required to serve dairy products throughout the week. Lunches must also include a “portion of meat or poultry on three or more days each week.” While the guidance on healthy diets for kids does include “plenty” of fruits and vegetables and unrefined starchy foods, it also recommends that meat and dairy be included.

Why schools should go plant-based

Workers in a cafeteria serving meat and dairy products to school children — Adobe Stock Schools are currently required to serve meat and dairy in schools

Vince, who is vegan himself, has repeatedly discussed the importance of moving away from animal products for the good of the planet and human health. He recently slammed animal agriculture in a speech at the Restore Nature Now march in London, saying that farming animals was the “cow in the room” of the climate and nature crises.

At the Labour Party Conference, he said that he would be speaking to the government about introducing “climate and sustainability” into the school curriculum.

Vince also stressed that plant-based meals are better for children than animal-based ones. Vegan diets are known to reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Processed red meat, for example, is linked to increased risk of colon cancer, while dairy may cause breast and prostate cancers. “We shouldn’t be forcing these unhealthy products onto our kids,” Vince said.