University leans towards planetary health diet, but vegan menu still on the table

It is very likely that Woudestein campus will not go fully vegan, as the university had previously announced. Instead, it seems likely that a planetary health diet will be introduced, which will include limited amounts of meat, eggs and dairy products.

In 2022, the Executive Board expressed its ambition to make the campus fully vegan by 2030. After declaring a climate emergency, the university leadership even aimed to accelerate this goal. However, the university now appears to be shifting towards a more flexible option: the planetary health diet.

20 percent animal-based

The planetary health diet was developed by a group of 37 scientists from sixteen countries and focuses on improving both human and planetary health. The diet is composed of 80 percent plant-based products and 20 percent animal-based products, making it a more flexible option than a fully vegan diet.

In practice, this means students and staff on campus would still be able to consume meat, milk, and eggs, but less. What the ratio of 80:20 will mean in practice, is still subject to discussion.

Balance between sustainability and freedom of choice

Although the original ambition was a fully vegan campus, discussions between the university and students and staff revealed that not everyone supports the idea of a completely vegan campus.

According to Femke van Zijst, spokesperson for the Executive Board, the reason for seriously considering the planetary health diet stems from these conversations. “After all, EUR is a university where everyone should feel at home. In addition, the planetary health diet offers a good balance between sustainability and freedom of choice”, Van Zijst says.

The university hopes to make a final decision about the future of campus food offerings by the end of 2024. While the vegan option remains one of the scenarios, the planetary health diet is currently being actively developed.