Call for pupils to have 'meat-free Monday' at every school in Wales (original) (raw)

A petition has been launched calling for meat-free Mondays in every Welsh school. The petition reads: "We are calling for the following: Meat-free Monday in every school in Wales for environmental reasons, and for the welfare of animals.

"It reduces your carbon footprint and saves the lives of animals. Additionally, it takes 2,350 litres of water to create one beef burger, so this will save a load of water."

The Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure 2009 was passed by the Senedd in recognition that the food and drink provided in schools can make a positive contribution towards giving children and young people a healthy balanced diet and encouraging them to develop good eating habits. There were further regulations in 2013 and statutory guidance a year later about how schools and councils can meet their requirements.

The regulations set out the type of food and drink which may be provided during the school day and define the nutritional content of school lunches. Food from four categories, one of which is ‘Meat, fish, and other non-dairy sources of protein', must form part of the school lunch provided on each school day. This can include meat, fish, eggs, nuts, pulses, and beans (other than green beans).

Under the statutory guidance meat cuts must be offered on at least two days per week in primary schools and at least three days per week in secondary schools. Meat products, such as processed meat, must not be offered more than twice per week in both primary and secondary schools. For the latest politics news in Wales sign up to our newsletter here.

The requirements of the 2009 measure, the 2013 regulations and the 2014 statutory guidance apply equally to all school meals, whether provided free or purchased by parents. In 2021 the children’s television programme Blue Peter urged its viewers to eat less meat as part of a climate change challenge but the Welsh Government has policy to support agriculture and food sectors.

What is contained in school meals has come up in a number of Senedd debates including earlier in 2024 when Conservative group leader Andrew RT Davies asked about monitoring of targeted nutritional values in free school meals and Labour Cardiff Central MS Jenny Rathbone said there needed to be a new sustainable farming scheme to address a “shortage of local ingredients” for the free school meals programme. She said: “Local authority catering departments are struggling to find suitable supplies at prices they can afford."

Peter Fox MS spoke about the petition, which gathered 271 signatures in support, saying he contested the amount of water consumption quoted in the petition details. He said it was the responsibility of councils to plan food menus and it is important they do their best to make a balanced menu. He said there were a number of councils where meat-free options are provided and the Welsh Government was looking at healthy school meals.

Independent MS Rhys ab Owen said he supported the idea and wanted to know more about what was being offered. Mr Fox said the committee would write to the farming minister to clarify which councils are already offering meat-free days and any review of guidance that the Welsh Government has.

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