Catering (to) Changes: Is Trinity Going Plant-Based?

“Food is meant to bring people together. It is meant to be savoured over laughs and enjoyed amongst friends, family and colleagues. And yet, sometimes food separates, excludes and punishes those who are just that bit different – those who eat just that bit different. It has happened to me more than once at campus functions: I find myself scanning the food trays in search of something that I could actually eat before ultimately having to ask whether plant-based options were available. And there usually is an option, just tucked away somewhere at the back – an afterthought. These are just-in-case meals for contingency planning, to accommodate a hypothetical hardcore vegan that shows up. This form of catering is not marginalisation per se, but neither is it inclusion. Instead, it points to a broader problem associated with universities and sustainability. Universities pride themselves on being future-forward spaces, and yet are struggling to accommodate evolving dietary customs, sustainability and inclusivity. A university that seeks to embrace change surrounding sustainable eating should ensure that plant-based options are not hidden, but varied and promoted. It is widely recognised that current food systems are unsustainable as they contribute to ecological destruction and harm human health. To combat this, Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences has proposed a Sustainable Catering Policy which aims to promote healthy, sustainable eating during campus meetings and events. They recognise the important role that higher education plays in leading the shift towards more sustainable food systems. The policy aligns with Trinity’s Sustainability Strategy 2023-3030, which hopes to improve “access to and uptake of healthier plant-based diets”. The Trinity Sustainable and Healthy Food Plan also seeks to “examine the acceptability and feasibility of plant-first catering policies across College” under Action 2.3.3. Furthermore, Trinity’s Green Events Plan solution 3.1 calls for a “vegetarian first approach”. The proposed policy finds its roots in the School of Natural Sciences. The Department of Geography has already been employing entirely plant-based catering for the discipline’s events since 2024. Since then, similar actions have been taken by principal investigators, research groups and research centres such as the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water and the Trinity Centre for the Environment. Now, this policy aims to support sustainable catering on a school-wide basis, for all events held by its disciplines (Botany, Geography, Geology and Zoology). External bodies, organisations and other schools in Trinity are encouraged to adopt these policies also. The catering policy introduces the following principles: First and foremost is a vegetarian and vegan-first policy which seeks to ensure that the School will provide fully vegetarian/vegan/plant-based menus as the default, and where possible, this food will be organic, fairtrade, ethical, seasonal and locally-produced. Dietary inclusivity will also be key. Where needed, the School will work to accommodate dietary needs such as halal, kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free and allergies; these options will also be vegetarian or vegan as a default. However, the School also recognises that under specific circumstances, menus beyond plant-based ones may be needed. In such cases, the food would still be organic, fairtrade, ethical, seasonal and locally-produced. Eliminating food waste is another important pillar for the policy. The School calls for catering organisers to try to establish the number of people (as well as their dietary requirements) attending the event beforehand to avoid the issue of surplus food. In the event of surplus food, catering organisers must have a contingency plan that safely distributes surplus food to identified spaces. Where possible, leftover food should also be composted. The policy is also looking to strictly prohibit single-use plastics (plates, cups, bottles and utensils) during events and meetings hosted by the School. The policy also points to the significance of supporting sustainable agriculture practices, which go hand in hand with sustainable catering. Aligning with Trinity’s Sustainable and Healthy Food Plan, catering choices should reflect principles of just transition, climate justice, agro-ecology, ethically sourced produce and the shortening of food supply chains. There are broader movements associated with this policy. The issue of converging sustainable eating and university activities is part of a larger international movement. The Plant-Based Universities organisation, for example, is a student-led initiative that calls for universities to transition to fully plant-based catering to address the climate crisis. The policy supports a 50% increase in plant-based food for Trinity by 2030 and considers it a step towards the campus being 100% plant-based by 2035. This aim is not too far-fetched considering Trinity’s already high proportion of vegans/vegetarians (35%), as found in a 2022 college survey. The proposed policy has already received support from the Trinity Sustainability Office, Healthy Campus, the Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action, Dr Jane Stout, and has been endorsed by the Climate Justice Universities Union. The Union in particular writes that this is an “exemplar policy” that can be shared “across the island of Ireland and internationally”. The policy is also well received by the student body, with support arising from the Student Union, the DU Vegan Society and the Geographical Society, amongst others. The Catering Policy is in the process of being approved by the School of Natural Sciences, and once effective, the policy will be piloted and reviewed on a yearly basis. Once adopted, catering organisers will be assisted by a Sustainable Food Working Group (yet to be established) which will be composed of representatives from staff, students and Trinity’s Sustainability Office. The working group will be tasked with offering practical advice, translating policy into action, collecting bottom-up responses, sharing best practices, and identifying potential challenges and solutions. Adopting a healthier, more sustainable catering policy would be a step towards reducing the negative impacts of academic activities. Universities, thus, as role model institutions, can encourage broader food system change.

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