Alliance successfully steps in to defend meat and dairy against vegan motion at Edinburgh University

The proposed motion, the second of its kind at Edinburgh University, would have banned meat and dairy from university-run shops and cafes by 2027, however the vote failed to get enough votes at the Students’ Association meeting with a whopping 81% of students rejecting the ban.
When made aware of the vote, the Scottish Countryside Alliance contacted a number of student bodies on campus and asked them to support local farmers, following a worrying rise in university union students pushing though similar motions.

In November last year, Stirling became the first Scottish University to impose a plant-based menu at student union outlets following a vote on campus – with only a miniscule number of students taking part in the vote. Students at Edinburgh rejected a similar motion to ban meat from campus menus in 2020. On that occasion, 58% said no to a proposal to impose campus-wide vegetarianism in cafés and restaurants.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher of the Countryside Alliance said: "It is good to see common sense prevail, and freedom of choice protected. This is the second time Edinburgh students have overwhelmingly voted against banning meat and dairy, showing support for UK livestock farming which is the among the most sustainable in the world".

The Scottish Farmer reported that student Emily Kemp, who forwarded the motion and spoke at the meeting said: “Science indicates that there is a clear need for action in order to tackle the climate crisis. Plant-based catering would be a cost-effective way of meeting its sustainability objectives. Animal farming uses the majority of UK farmland, but contributes to less than 35%, of average calorie intake.”

The Alliance understands that there were also discussions about how the ban could impact different cultures on campus, particularly for the students where a meat-based diet is important.