Universities could save half a million pounds and 84 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from food by switching to plant-based catering, according to a new report. Read more: French University Cafeteria Doubles Meat-Free Options – Sees 96% Spike In Sales Produced by Bryant Research and Plant-Based Universities, the report modeled the financial and environmental impacts of meat-based, vegetarian, and plant-based meals in university catering. The researchers compared the costs of average meals and the environmental impact of 140 different ingredients.
The report shows what changes occur across different scenarios, from business-as-usual to transitioning to 30, 50, 70, and 100 percent plant-based catering. Plant-based meals consistently came out on top for cost-effectiveness and sustainability. “This report into university catering is, yet another, key piece of support for higher education to step up and do their duty in the face of the climate crisis,” Agnes Sales, a Plant-Based Universities campaigner at the University of Bristol said in a statement.
“100 percent plant-based menus would represent a vital, no-nonsense, and common sense step towards campus sustainability.” Better across all metrics The report shows that plant-based meals beat meat-based and vegetarian meals not only financially, but also across several environmental metrics. On average, vegetarian meals were 11 percent cheaper than meat-based ones, but fully plant-based cost 30 percent less.
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