Plant-based milk will be subsidised so it costs the same as dairy milk in all Trinity Catering restaurants for the month of February.
The idea originated from student Heather McClean who proposed the plan as part of an assignment for her “The Psychology of Climate Change” class.
The original task was to produce a policy brief with the psychological basis for a particular environmental challenge and to present potential solutions.
Speaking to The University Times, Prof Clare Kelly who teaches the class, said that McLean “took the assignment one step further in that she actually reached out to Healthy Trinity”.
Kelly added that she has emailed Provost Linda Doyle to “advocate for making it more permanent”.
Plant milks will be subsidised to cost the same as cow milk in hot drinks for all of February. With thanks to @TCDbites for facilitating @IMMAlab‘s student to run this initiative. pic.twitter.com/aHnIYMfPIA
— HealthyTrinity (@TCDHealthP) February 1, 2022
In November of last year, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) voted to lobby for more plant-based options in College catering services.
The union called for the replacement of animal-based products with “similarly-priced, healthy, ethically and sustainably sourced plant-based alternatives”.
The motion was proposed by second-year PPES class representative László Molnárfi and was seconded by the union’s Environmental Officer Sam Foley.
It stated: “As Ireland’s leading university, we should provide leadership and raise our profile as a sustainability-oriented university prepared to play its part in ameliorating catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Molnarfi originally proposed that TCDSU lobby for Trinity Catering to go entirely plant based, but his motion was amended.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, farming is responsible for 36 per cent of all greenhouse gases emissions. The motion will also see TCDSU lobby “to ensure that all foodstuff in the catering service is audited with a climate-first approach”.
Trinity’s 20th annual Green Week is taking place on the week of February 21st, and will revolve around the theme of “repairing our broken food systems”, and will aim to educate students and staff about all aspects of food production “from farm to fork”. Topics covered will include the way food is grown, food waste and food poverty.
Last month, the University of Cambridge said that the removal of beef and lamb products from its menus has led to a 33 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per kilogram of food
The university’s Sustainable Food Policy, which was implemented in 2016, focused on reducing the consumption of meat, increasing plant based options on menus, removing unsustainable fish from menus and reducing food waste.
Steps taken to implement the policy included briefing catering staff on the environmental benefits of plant-based options and providing chefs with vegan cookery classes. To encourage changes in consumer behaviour, the catering service increased plant based options on menus while removing beef and lamb dishes.
Gillian O’Neill also contributed reporting to this piece.
