Helsinki leaves meat and cow’s milk on the menu – EURACTIV.com
From the beginning of next year, meat and cow’s milk will no longer be offered at Helsinki’s public events, seminars, meetings or workshops. This is happening after the Finnish capital declared itself a “Fair Trade City” in 2013 and has used fair trade criteria in procurement tenders.
Coffee and tea come from fair trade operators, oat-based products replace cow’s milk and the menus consist of seasonal vegetarian dishes or responsibly produced local fish with water and sour milk.
Not surprisingly, social media was full of comments. The Helsinki decision has revealed different values and divisions between urban and rural populations as well as generations and classes.
The Confederation of Farmers and Forest Owners condemned the alignment of Helsinki as “green washing” and the rural center as “sad” if it meant banning domestic meat.
According to the authorities, the measure is part of the fight against climate change and food waste. However, there are exceptions to the rule. “If, for example, the King of Sweden comes to the village, we can serve locally hunted game,” said Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)