Oxford City Council unanimously backs 100% plant-based catering for internal events

Oxford City Council has unanimously voted in favour of banning animal products from being served at internal events.

Put forward by Labour Councillor Paula Dunne, the motion also pushes the council to work with farmers to ‘encourage more plant-based local produce’.

Additionally, the council has pledged to support community groups ‘to form a plant-based localised free food service’.

It follows pressure from the Plant-Based Councils campaign, urging Oxford City to promote plant-based eating as ‘the logical and necessary next step after having declared a climate emergency’.

Oxford City Council goes green

During the meeting, Dunne said: “In the UK we eat twice as much meat and dairy as the global average. [This] is not sustainable on a finite planet.

“There is not enough land in the world to meet this demand. The rate at which we are eating meat and dairy is the leading cause of modern species extinctions.”

‘Inspire widespread change’

Despite pushback from Conservative councillors including Liam Walker, who dubbed the motion as ‘madness’ , many experts have shown their support.

In fact, Dr Nicola Smith, of Plant-Based Health Professionals, contributed medical information to back the motion. 

In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, she said: “There’s substantial evidence that a plant-based diet can benefit individual health. 

“Oxford City Council has the opportunity to model best-practice for the local population.

“By demonstrating that plant-based eating can be delicious, nutritious, and the new standard… There’s potential to improve the health of the community, move towards a more sustainable future, and inspire widespread change.”

Exeter City Council

Oxford City has now followed in the footsteps of Exeter City Council, who voted to serve only plant-based foods at council meetings and events last year.

Exeter City Council also plans to introduce more plant-based options to menus at council-run external sites such as leisure centres.

In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council also voted to serve 100 percent plant based food and drink at all catered meetings and events.

Tired of being the only vegan in the office or feel like your workplace could be doing more to accommodate vegans?

Here’s how to help make your workplace more vegan.

Featured image credit: Paul Brown via Getty Images