Freiburg (Dpa) – Children from Freiburg’s municipal kindergartens and primary schools will only receive vegetarian food from the next school year. This was decided on Tuesday evening by the majority of the municipal council of the city of southern Baden. Furthermore, starting from the 2023/24 school year, the prices of school meals will be progressively increased. The proposal had received heavy criticism, including from parental advice. It was approved with 27 votes in favor and 14 against.
So far there have been two types of food, with meat and fish served. The city is limiting the choice of hot lunches, mainly for cost reasons. In the long term it is possible to apply the regulation with the standard menu to upper secondary schools. The proportion of organic products in school catering and nursery schools will increase to 30 percent, so far it has been 20 percent.
The Freiburg initiative is exemplary in the southwest: the Stuttgart Ministry of Agriculture and Food said on request that it was unaware of any other city or municipality offering completely meat-free food in crèches and in schools. More than 500,000 lunches are served in the school canteens of Freiburg every year.
“Pupils are told what to eat,” criticized Gerlinde Schrempp of Free Voters (3 seats) during the city council debate. City councilor Franco Orlando of the parliamentary group of FDP and BFF (citizens for Freiburg; 4 out of 48 seats) had previously stated that city leaders under non-partisan mayor Martin Horn were “meat eating a thorn in their side”. Green-red has the majority in the city council.
Education Mayor Christine Buchheit (Verdi) defended the proposal: “We want to keep cost increases under control,” he said. Good meat is a price factor.
The Baden-Württemberg State Parents Advisory Council also raised clear objections. Parents should already pay for the transport of the children to school, said the president Michael Mittelstaedt of the German news agency. There should be no new costs for parents. “With what justification should vegetarian food cost more than meat food? Organic seal? Ridiculous,” said Mittelstaedt. It is up to society as a whole to change eating habits. “So subsidies would be more than appropriate here.”
The vice-president of the Parents Council of Freiburg, Sebastian Kölsch, criticized the fact that the parental contribution for a school canteen, which is currently € 3.90, is expected to rise to € 4.80 by September of the following year. “According to our research, Freiburg is already at the top with its prices for large cities in the southwest,” he told the German news agency.
Kölsch also complained that there should be no more choice for children in the future. The whole parental advice could imagine cutting meat, for example with two vegetarian dishes. “Choosing between vegetable lasagna and steamed dumplings is also a choice,” he said. An optional meat side dish for the vegetarian dish, for example once a week, is also conceivable.
In Karlsruhe, another big city in Baden, there are no comparable plans. The offer of a second menu is important to respond to the personal preferences of those who eat and thus increase acceptance, “said a spokesperson for the city.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 221018-99-173533 / 3
