Cambridge University’s Students’ Union (SU) has voted to make its catering 100 percent plant-based.

Student representatives voted for the Cambridge SU to “serve fully plant-based food in all of its internal operations, and at all events and meetings.”

The motion was proposed by members of Plant-Based Cambridge (PBCam), a student-led environmental group that is working with the University of Cambridge to transition towards accessible, plant-based catering.

Last year, Cambridge students passed a motion to support a similar move within the University Catering Services (UCS), which manages a handful of cafeterias around the university.

Plant-Based Cambridge runs local campaigns with involvement from students, academics, and catering managers in colleges and departments across the University.

Since last year’s vote, PBCam has been working with the UCS on transitioning its outlets towards being fully plant-based.

One branch of the PBCam campaign is focused on helping the University align its investments with its ethical and environmental principles. This involves fully divesting from animal agriculture, which will help “erode its social licence,” according to students involved with the campaign. In the past few years, dozens of institutions, including the University of Stirling and London Metropolitan University, have taken steps towards 100 percent plant-based catering. Meanwhile, more than 650 academics signed an open letter calling for universities to transition away from animal agriculture.

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