From vegconomist.com
Members of UK conservation charity the National Trust have voted in favour of a resolution to make at least 50% of the menu plant-based at the Trust’s 300 food and beverage outlets.
The vote took place at the Trust’s 129th Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held in the Newcastle Civic Centre. 57,498 members voted in favour of the resolution, compared to 20,111 against. An overwhelming majority of members also voted in support of a resolution to strengthen the charity’s response to the climate and ecological emergency.
The National Trust was founded in 1895 and manages over 500 heritage and nature sites across the UK. Around 40% of the menu at the charity’s cafes is already plant-based, and it has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. The Trust’s other initiatives to tackle climate change include tree-planting programs, the use of renewable energy, and restoring wildlife habitats.
Addressing “backlash”
When it was first announced that National Trust members would vote on the resolution to make 50% of menus plant-based, some media outlets claimed that the charity had faced significant backlash. However, National Trust Director of Communications Celia Richardson has refuted this.
“For those asking, the ‘fierce backlash last night’ entailed two information requests to our press office. One from the Daily Mail and one from the Daily Telegraph,” she said on X.
She also pushed back against claims made by the Daily Mail earlier this year that the charity had “secretly” made its scones vegan, pointing out that the recipe has been free of animal ingredients for years.
“The National Trust did not secretly make its scones vegan,” she said. “All recipes are published. The Daily Mail broke the ‘secret’ story 4 years after publishing our classic scone recipe, which doesn’t include butter, under the headline ‘truly scrumptious.’”
“Perfect opportunity”
Worldwide, several organisations have now committed to offering a 50% plant-based menu to help address climate change. These include Sodexo Campus, Burger King, Wagamama, and IKEA.
The National Trust says its trustees will consider the outcomes of the resolutions voted on at the AGM later this autumn, before updating members.
“As members heard today, this was our last AGM before we launch a new 10-year strategy in January,” said René Olivieri, Chair of the National Trust’s Board of Trustees. “It provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on everything that the Trust and its supporters have achieved over the past decade and get ready for the next one. We’re looking forward to sharing more information about that soon.”
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