Oslo City Council is currently sending out a new “climate measure” for consultation. The consultation proposal is entitled “Serving meat-free food in leisure clubs, AKS and kindergartens” and proposes to stop serving meat in kindergartens.
The consultation proposal is not yet loaded on the municipality’s website, but is discussed by Verdens Gang, among others:
We have set ourselves the goal of halving meat consumption in the municipality because of climate and nature – and because it is good to eat more plant-based food, says finance councilor Einar Wilhelmsen from the Green Party (MDG).
He says this is an extension downwards in age: The school meals served by the municipality are already meat-free.
We are now going down in age and will offer more healthy and plant-based food in the kindergartens, AKS and at the leisure clubs, says city councillor for the environment and transport, Sirin Hellvin Stav (MDG). (VG)
Stav also says that MDG has the full support of its city council partners in Ap and SV and that the initiative will also help those who struggle with high food prices:
Good eating habits are established early. But for those who want, you can still bring a packed lunch with toppings of your choice, says Stav.
These are also measures for social equalisation and inclusion. More and more people are struggling to make ends meet and healthy eating habits are linked to income and education level. (VG)
This will probably cause certain Norwegian vegetable producers who are struggling with high electricity prices to reach out and ask for additional electricity subsidies from the City Council’s Storting colleagues.
Speaking of the Storting, it was the Storting that reduced the prices in its canteen in March 2022.
No surprise
Whether this proposal is to the voters’ liking remains to be seen, but it should not come as a surprise to anyone. The proposal was announced in advance in Aftenposten as early as March 3:
The Green Party (MDG) won approval in the last municipal election for school meals in Oslo to be meat-free.
Before the next election, more MDG summits will take it further. They want to make the food served in the kindergartens free and vegetarian.
When you have little time, you have to keep things simple. In addition, you may have low finances. Then it quickly becomes industrial food and cheap meat sausages at home. This makes it extra important that the food served in the nursery is healthy, good and as plant-based as possible, says Sigrid Z. Heiberg, head of Oslo MDG and one of the initiators of the proposal. (Aftenposten)
The proposal also falls under Oslo Municipality’s action plan on consumption and waste:
Oslo municipality’s goal in the Strategy for sustainable and reduced consumption 2019-2030 is to choose sustainable food in its own food service and purchases. Requirements for the reduction of food waste and sustainable food must be made in agreements with external actors who serve food to the municipality’s employees and users. Further, it is also a target that meat consumption should be reduced, the proportion of fruit, vegetables, legumes and seasonal products should be increased and that the proportion of organic food should be at least 50 per cent of the total food purchase.
Oslo City Council will not serve meat in kindergartens (VG)
Will make the food in the nursery vegetarian and free (Aftenposten – paywall)