Trinity College Dublin: Trinity goes plant-based for 20th anniversary of Green Week
Trinity College Dublin is serving 75% plant-based food on campus this week as Provost Linda Doyle, Senator David Norris and Iseult Ward, CEO and co-founder of Foodcloud, today (Monday) launch the university’s 20th annual Green Week.
The theme this year is ‘‘Repairing our Broken Food Systems’. The week-long series of events will focus on the problems with, and solutions to, our food systems from farm to fork.
Students and staff recently voted on whether to have 25%, 50% or 75% of the campus lunch options to be vegan or vegetarian during Green Week.
The majority of votes went for 75%, meaning anyone eating on campus for lunch will have one meat option, two vegan options and one vegetarian option. In addition, the surcharge for plant-based milks has been eliminated for the month of February and a vegan/palm-oil free vending machine has been installed in the Arts Building.
Other key events taking place include:
* Chef Darina Allen will be speaking on the Biodiversity Panel about ‘Food, Farming and Biodiversity: The Need for a More Sustainable Irish Food System’ on Thursday 24th February from 7 – 8pm.
* Renowned travel writer Manchán Magan will speak about why he gave up air travel and how this recent change has transformed his life on 22nd February from 7-8.
* A free student Swap Shop with clothing, books and other items donated by staff and students
* A sustainable pop-up shop on Feb 24th and 25th in the Berkeley Library, showcasing sustainable products made by students and staff.
* There will also be a sustainable careers panel with environmental consultants and professionals.
The full list of events during Green Week can be found here.
Provost Linda Doyle said:
The College Community was asked to vote on the theme for this year’s Green Week. The chosen theme aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 2, ‘Zero Hunger’, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture. The College Community also voted on making our catering menu more sustainable. I’m delighted that so many engaged in this decision-making process.
The programme of activities planned for Green Week will raise awareness, and encourage behaviour change, around all the issues involved.
Sustainability Advisor Michele Hallahan said:
Our theme this year was chosen by popular vote, reflecting people’s growing alarm with how food is grown, produced and transported thousands of miles. Industrial food manufacturing is one of the leading contributors to climate change and biodiversity loss across our planet. 94% of the mass of animals on this planet are agricultural and domestic, so only 6% are wild. This year’s Green Week theme investigates the problems and solutions associated with our broken food systems.