Bridging the Gap: Veganism, Animal Agriculture, and the DfE’s Sustainability Strategy
Dr. Heather Marshall (Senior Lecturer in Education, Edge Hill University)
The climate crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and education has a pivotal role to play in preparing the next generation to address it. Schools and universities are uniquely positioned to foster environmental awareness and equip students with the skills and knowledge to build a sustainable future. Recognising this, the UK Department for Education (DfE) has outlined its Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy (2023), which focuses on four key aims: ensuring excellence in education and skills for a changing world, achieving net zero goals in education buildings, enhancing resilience to climate change, and creating a better environment for future generations. These aims are supported by initiatives to decarbonise education, adapt school infrastructure to withstand climate impacts, and engage young people in biodiversity and nature-focused activities.
While the strategy commendably addresses issues such as energy efficiency, biodiversity, and climate resilience, it conspicuously omits any mention of food systems, dietary choices, or the environmental impact of animal agriculture. This is a significant gap, as research consistently shows that addressing food-related emissions, particularly those from animal agriculture, is critical to meeting climate targets. Richard Twine, in The Climate Crisis and Other Animals (2024), critiques this omission as part of a broader failure to address the ethical and environmental dimensions of human-animal relations in sustainability discourse.
Twine offers a valuable framework for understanding why food systems, particularly the impact of animal agriculture, are often neglected in sustainability discussions. He identifies anthropocentrism – the tendency to prioritise human concerns above all else – and entrenched cultural norms as key barriers. Twine argues that dominant narratives often focus narrowly on emissions from energy and transport systems, neglecting the systemic contributions of food production to climate change. This narrow framing benefits industries such as animal agriculture, which have powerful lobbies and cultural inertia normalising meat consumption despite its significant environmental costs.
Twine also critiques the marginalisation of veganism, which is often dismissed as a niche concern rather than a critical component of climate solutions. He highlights how plant-based diets consistently demonstrate lower emissions and reduced land use, making them an essential strategy for addressing the climate crisis. However, advocating for such changes in national strategies, like the DfE’s, can be politically sensitive, given the fear of alienating stakeholders or appearing prescriptive. For Twine, this reluctance reflects a deeper resistance to rethinking the cultural and economic systems underpinning animal agriculture.
Using Twine’s insights, the DfE’s omissions appear not just as policy gaps but as symptoms of a wider failure to integrate transformative thinking into climate strategies. Addressing these barriers requires a shift in perspective that recognises the interconnectedness of human and non-human lives and the ethical imperative to challenge exploitative systems.
Incorporating veganism into educational curricula offers an opportunity to empower students to make informed, sustainable choices about their diets and lifestyles. By addressing the environmental, ethical, and health implications of food systems, schools can equip students with the knowledge to critically evaluate their choices and advocate for systemic change. This approach aligns with broader climate goals while fostering a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
Teaching about plant-based diets can help students understand the significant role food production plays in climate change, including the outsized impact of animal agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and biodiversity loss. Framing plant-based eating as a practical and impactful climate solution encourages students to think critically about their consumption habits and their broader implications. Including discussions on the ethical treatment of animals and the global inequalities perpetuated by industrial agriculture further broadens their understanding of sustainability as a holistic concept.
Some schools are already leading the way. For example, in the UK, initiatives such as “Meat-Free Mondays” encourage students to explore plant-based meals at least once a week. In Sweden and Denmark, schools have integrated plant-based options into their menus, citing environmental benefits. In California, the Climate-Friendly School Food Program supports districts in transitioning to plant-based menus, reducing their carbon footprints while promoting healthier eating habits among students. These programmes not only reduce emissions but also serve as powerful educational tools, making sustainability tangible and accessible.
By embedding veganism into sustainability education, schools can cultivate informed decision-making, inspire systemic change, and empower students to see their agency in addressing the climate crisis. Such initiatives demonstrate that integrating plant-based solutions into the curriculum is not merely a dietary preference but a critical step towards a sustainable future.
References
Department for Education (DfE). (2023) Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy
Twine, R. (2024) The Climate Crisis and Other Animals Sydney: Sydney University Press.