A vote on banning meat and dairy from catering at Edinburgh University has failed to get enough votes at the Students’ Association meeting.

The proposed motion would have banned meat and dairy from university-run shops and cafes by 2027. However, out of 812 votes at the Student Council meeting, only 19% were in favour of the ban.

Emily Kemp, who forwarded the motion, spoke at the meeting. In her proposal, she said: “Science indicates that there is a clear need for action in order to tackle the climate crisis. Plant-based catering would be a cost-effective way of meeting its sustainability objectives. Animal farming uses the majority of UK farmland, but contributes to less than 35%, or average calorie intake.”

READ MORE: Edinburgh University to vote on meat and dairy ban

The meeting then went on to question if enough engagement with the wider 42,000 students had been undertaken to ensure there was support for a meat and dairy ban. There was also discussions about how the ban could impact different cultures on campus, particularly for the students where a meat-based diet is important.

A number of other students also asked if SRUC students could have been more involved in the motion and if animal welfare had been considered.

In 2020, students at Edinburgh rejected a similar motion to ban meat from campus menus. On that occasion, about 6000 votes were cast and 58% said no to a proposal to impose campus-wide vegetarianism in cafés and restaurants. In November last year, Stirling became the first Scottish University to impose a plant-based menu at student union outlets following a vote on campus.