School Food Standards: Plant-Based Schools’ response, 18/09/26

On the week of the 14th September 2026, the UK Government released their response to the School Food Standards consultation. They confirmed the end to the mandatory meat requirements in school food by diversifying the protein definition to include pulses and legumes.

Nearly half of the respondents to the consultation were Plant-Based Schools supporters, 2,273 of the total 5,216 responses. Our supporters used their responses to the consultation to make the case for plant-based food to be prioritised in schools. 

This led to the official government citation of the Plant-Based Schools campaign to have provided significant input in the updated standards in their consultation response released on the 14th September 2026. 

However, without further guidance, meat and fish will still be the default protein in schools. 

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate breakdown. It accounts for over a quarter of all total greenhouse gas emissions, and also uses the largest amount of land of any sector, approximately 26% of non-iced land which is the leading cause of biodiversity loss. It requires an astronomical amount of clean drinking water which, as water becomes more scarce, will pose even more negative effects to our weak system. These effects, coupled with the billions of tonnes of animal waste released into our water ways every year, are turbocharging our collective journey to ecosystem collapse. 

But there is another way.

Plant-Based Schools is a national campaign that brings parents and young people together to advocate for more plant-based food in their schools, with the aim of ensuring every child has access to at least one whole food, healthy and sustainable plant-based meal every day. With more than 70 campaigns across the country, Plant-Based Schools was able to reach a wide network of parents and young people and galvanise support for plant-based food in response to the consultation. 

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Flora, 26, Campaign Manager and Spokesperson for the Plant-Based Schools campaign, stated that:

“We welcome the UK Government’s response to our many supporters calling for plant-based food to be prioritised in schools, however, we feel this is only an appeasement of our collective ask. Schools will still be serving unhealthy and unsustainable meat as the default, which shows that they have not gone far enough. 

Continuing to have animal products as a central part of what we feed our children means continuing to support a food system that is driving climate breakdown, destroying habitats and placing growing pressure on the ecosystems we all depend on to live. If we are serious about protecting children’s health and preserving a livable planet, whole plant-based food must become the norm in our schools, not the alternative.”

Plant-Based Schools is advocating for everyone to sign their Open Letter to the UK Government demanding that they prioritise plant-based food in schools and requiring that at least one plant-based meal be available to every child, everyday in every school.

Sign the open letter: PBS Open Letter - Plant-Based Schools