School meals in Lyon, France's second largest city, have become the subject for a war of words between politicians, and the city itself has become the stage for farmers protests over the last few days. The reason for all of the outcry is that Grégory Doucet, the city's mayor, has made the decision to temporarily remove meat from school lunch menus during the Covid crisis. Mr Doucet is being accused by other French politicians of trying to promote vegetarianism, although he says the reason for the decision is to speed up food distribution in light of coronavirus hygiene and social distancing protocols. His critics claim that he is using the outbreak to promote a lifestyle agenda. The Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, described it as an “insult to French farmers and butchers,” claiming that "the moralist and elitist politics of the 'Greens' exclude the working class.” while Beatrice de Montille, a right-wing official said that "in the city of gastronomy, the ecological majority takes advantage of the health crisis to pass ideological measures without consultations." The Agricultural Minister, Julien Denormandie, is equally critical, saying “Let’s stop putting ideology on our children's plates!” and "Let's just give them what they need to grow well. Meat is part of it." He has called on the local prefect to reverse the decision. The strange thing is that, as the mayor has pointed out, his right-wing predecessor "took exactly the same measure" during the first wave of the pandemic and nobody paid much attention. It seems like a huge reaction to a temporary measure that is so far only scheduled to last until the Easter holidays. Mr Doucet has promised that the student's meals in the 206 schools in Lyon will remain balanced, and that they are actually not vegan or vegetarian, as they will still include eggs and fish. The city explanation for the change of menu does seem to make sense, as deputy mayor Stephanie Leger explained that schools would be serving “a single menu without meat to more quickly serve students and streamline meals.” So, what is the real issue here, is the problem that Mr Doucet is a member of France's Green Party, and why is cutting meat from school meals a problem rather than a good thing? You might think that France would be one of the countries at the front of every food trend, and it is hard to see a reason that schools in Lyon or anywhere else across the country should not embrace meatless meals. Nutritionists agree that a vegetarian diet is safe for children as long as they get enough protein and iron, it avoids issues with many allergies and religious beliefs, is more sustainable and would save the schools money. Comments like those by Mr Denormandie implying that children need to eat meat seem curiously old-fashioned but he is not alone. It's truly unusual for French famers and central government to get along about anything but it seems the idea of meat-free schools has managed to unite them as the farmers have taken their tractors to the streets of Lyon in protest. So, what should France, and the world, be feeding it's children, is there a case for the choice of a healthy mostly plant-based diet, or should we be supporting the meat farming lobby and taking the traditional but far less sustainable option?

Meat-free schools meals in Lyon cause outrage, but should they?

Žaklīna

Wow, it is amazing to me that this is an issue and some of the comments from the ministers are shocking.

If I understand the story right it is just a temporary thing for a few weeks but if it was a whole full-time change then I still think that it would be a definitely positive move.

If nutritionists said that the kids would lack something or lose out then that would be of course very wrong and bad, but the idea that children have to eat meat to be healthy is so out of date and just wrong.

Piri

Žaklīna the politics should be coordinated, but often it is not. One promise to involve more meat from farmers to schools and another says no meat at all.... It is a pity could be an interesting and great project coming up to the public as an example.

Skylar

Žaklīna If I understand the story right it is just a temporary thing for a few weeks

Yes it is only for 5 weeks right now until Easter.

So Veli

My cousin's kids go to a quite expensive (I think) private school and there the vegetarian healthy menu is something that are period of and point out to the parents, and everyone seems happy with it.

Piri

So Veli many private schools started this, I think in Lithuania a couple outdoor kindergardens do the same. Maybe even more. It is a great practice. Well to adopt many new initiatives takes time 🙂

Aiga

In the article it says about religion, maybe making the school meals vegetarian is actually a good idea just for this alone, it can not divide into groups if everyone is able to eat the same thing. There should be choices still for sure but if all or most of the choices are things that anyone is able to eat then that would be nice.

Julie Brooks-Girskiene

I can see all of the sides of this.

Its right to say that it is more green and sustainable to eat a mostly plant based diet and I think we should all be doing that, not just at schools but everywhere.

I also see why parents can be upset about it, nobody wants to have the things that their children can or cannot do dictated to them, including what they eat, parents want to make those decisions themselves.

But the politician who says children can't be healthy without meat is a dinosaur, gets very well paid by the meat farming industry, or both.

Arvīds

I do not understand why this is a big thing. If the kids are getting meals at school that are nutrious, that they are wiling to eat and that do not leave them hungry, then what difference does it make what is in them on some level.

But I can see the side that says people should have a choice. Forcing everyone to eat only vegetarian without the choice is the same as forcing everyone to eat meat without the choice in some way. Vegetarians would not be happy about that, but maybe that is how it was up to now. I don't know.

Vilte

I did not see this story before. Was this in the end just a temporary action and are they back to serving meat now that the corona pandemic is getting better.

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