At the end of 2022, thousands of you took part in our consultation on the future of food on campus. As part of this, we held a number of focus groups for both staff and students where a major topic of conversation was whether meat should feature on the menus at Sussex.
The background
According to the UN, deforestation and clearing of land for agriculture and grazing, digestion by cows and sheep, the production and use of fertilisers and manure for growing crops, and the use of energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats makes food production a major contributor to climate change.
The impact of livestock on emissions varies between countries. Globally, the UN estimates it makes up more than 14% of all man-made greenhouse gases, including methane.
While the true climate impact of what we eat is not easy to calculate, members of the UK government’s Climate Change Committee have said that people should reduce meat-eating for their health, as well as for the planet.
What you told us
According to our survey, a third of meat eaters on campus would be very interested in reducing the amount of meat in their diet.
Offering better choice could play a major role in making that possible: when we asked what would encourage you to eat more sustainable meals, more options when eating out was the most popular response. There was also support for better access to vegan and vegetarian recipes, and clear labelling to understand the impact of the choices we make.
We also asked what percentage of menus on campus you think should be meat-free – and the greatest support (42%) was for half of menus on campus to be plant-based. A quarter of respondents favoured 30%, while six in 100 would like our eateries to be entirely meat-free.
What happens next
Our new catering partners will ensure half of the menus on offer are meat-free and work with the University to shift demand patterns so at least 50% of the products bought are meat-free. Tasty new offerings under the new contract will include build-your-own poke bowls, freshly made vegan sandwiches with fillings like onion bhaji and spinach with mango chutney and mint yogurt, and sweet and sour tofu noodle bowls.
They also plan to launch carbon labelling on products by the middle of next year to help us all make more informed decisions.
But we also know it is important that we all have choice: plenty of you at our focus groups were opposed to the idea of going meat-free. In those sessions, the bias was towards having an equal split of meat and vegetarian options - but with more variety and more nutritious vegan offerings to tempt everyone.
Our main conference catering offer will be ‘plant-forward’ for the future, but with meat options for those who prefer them, in response to feedback from the survey calling for more nutritious vegetarian options.
Have your say
We would love to know what you think about this topic, and about food here at Sussex: please email bettercampus@sussex.ac.uk or join the conversation on our dedicated food group on staff social network Viva Engage.
Read our announcement of the preferred bidder for our catering contract.
This information is correct at the time of publishing. But please note that all project work is fast-moving, and plans are subject to change. You can stay up to date with the latest on all of our projects through our Viva Engage communities, including: Creating a Better Campus; Food at Sussex; Transforming Sussex; PS Places; Campus travel and transport