Students vote for plant-based menus at university

A university has opted to make plant-based menus the default option at its catering facilities, following a vote by students.

The University of Southampton will make the changes at its student union from the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

It means plant-based meals will be the standard option and consumers will have to opt-in if they would like animal-based products.

Following the decision by the university's student council on the 19 February, Matthew Rochford, a PhD student, said it "recognises the devastating impact of animal agriculture and the need to move towards a plant-based food system".

Rochford said he was "delighted" with the vote adding that it was time for Southampton to "set an example for other universities to follow".

The student union launched a petition on the changes at the start of February and it received more than 950 signatures from students in one week.

The University of Southampton joins more than 20 universities across the country that have opted for the vegan option and it follows a campaign by Plant-Based Universities.

The international network of students campaign for universities and student unions to adopt 100% plant-based catering and has received high-profile support from environmentalist, Chris Packham, the co-executive directors of Greenpeace UK, Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum, and leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski.

The group believes that universities should follow the research that they produce on the environmental impacts of animal farming and fishing

Dr Becks Spake, Associate Professor of Climate and Environmental Change at Southampton, said: "This is excellent news. The University is acting on its responsibility to lead on climate action.

"This decision aligns with scientific evidence that shifting to plant-rich diets is essential for cutting emissions, protecting nature, and securing food for future generations."

Food production is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming, according to a University of Oxford study.

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