Campaign for two meat-free days in Somerset primary schools

Catherine Cannon said "nobody needs to eat meat everyday"

A former teacher whose family were beef farmers wants meat taken off the menu in primary schools, two days a week.

Catherine Cannon said more meat-free meals would save money and be a "big step" towards Somerset County Council meeting its climate targets.

She said: "School lunches are biased towards meat and nobody needs to eat meat every day."

The council said it would "continue to support schools and caterers in offering more plant-based foods".

The former primary school teacher from west Somerset said animal agriculture accounts for "14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions" and that her campaign was about "normalising" plant-based and vegetarian foods and "bringing them into the main stream".

"In terms of climate, the science is totally unequivocal we need to reduce our meat consumption," she said.

"Even David Attenborough said the planet can't support billions of meat eaters.

"We have a duty to help the next generation to learn to eat in a way that is more sustainable."

Currently the government's school food standards says a "portion of meat or poultry" should be provided on "three or more days each week"

Along with setting up a Change.org petition, Ms Cannon said she had also spoken to parents in the county who "on the whole" had been "very supportive of this initiative".

She said a mother in Taunton told her one of her children had "gone vegetarian" over concerns about the "impacts of meat eating on the climate".

While another in Yeovil said she and her three-year-old daughter had already moved towards a more plant-based diet and "it would be amazing" when she started school if "they were doing it too".

'Bit of balance'

"Some people might be worried this is pushing a vegan agenda but this is not what we're doing," said Ms Cannon.

"Currently school lunches are biased towards meat and we're just trying to bring in a bit of balance."

Somerset County Council said it recognised the "crucial role" schools play in establishing healthy eating habits in children as well as "supporting the wider climate emergency".

"Over the last few months we've been working with a number of organisations that are able to support schools in becoming more eco-friendly," a spokesman said.

"We will continue to support schools and caterers in offering more plant-based foods, in line with government's school food standards."