French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot wants to implement meat-free meals in schools at least once a week.
According to the politician he wants to introduce a formal policy in the near future.
Hulot claimed the decision has been partly driven by animal welfare concerns saying: “It is necessary to reduce suffering as much as possible.”
Scandal
Hulot is not vegetarian himself but claims his family only eats meat once a week.
The minster spoke out about wanting to reduce his intake as far back as 2016 when France was faced with a number of scandals regarding animal abuse in slaughterhouses, including the exposure of cruel practices at an abattoir in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Video footage taken by French advocay group L214 showing shocking abuse prompted Agriculture Minister at the time Stéphane Le Foll to shut the slaughterhouse in question, and to order all of France’s abattoirs to be inspected within a month.
‘Reduce’
Hulot was interviewed at the time, saying he ‘reduces [meat intake] day to day’.
He added: “We, the consumers, participate, validate [the cruelty] to a certain extent.
“I am not a vegetarian, but that’s my goal.”
Speaking about the plans to reduce meat in schools, he said he wants to talk to current Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Travert about improving welfare conditions.
He said: “I am convinced that thinking has changed enormously on this subject.”
READ MORE:
Vegan Stars Miley Cyrus And Moby Ask Fans To Help ‘Scared’ Animals As Wildfires Blaze
Major UK Supermarkets Ramp Up Vegan Offerings To Meet Growing Demand
‘First Time They Saw The Sun’: 640 Turkeys Involved In Motorway Smash