Seoul Schools to Pilot 'Vegetarian Meals' Twice a Month Starting April

Establishment of the '2021 Green School Meal Activation Basic Plan'
Introduction of Vegetarian Meals Linked with Ecological Transition Education
Installation of Green Bars in Some School Meal Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will pilot vegetarian meals twice a month starting this month to reduce carbon emissions in response to the climate crisis.

On the 8th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it has established the '2021 GREEN Meal Activation Basic Plan' to promote vegetarian meals, which will be implemented in schools at all levels starting from the 9th.

From this month, all schools in Seoul will pilot 'Green Meal Days' twice a month. Some schools will set up vegetarian meal corners (Green Bars) where students can choose vegetarian options.

The Office of Education decided to promote green meals to create a meal culture that reduces meat consumption for a sustainable planet, as meat-centered eating habits are a major cause of the climate crisis. Green meals focus on an ecological food culture that considers the health of people, animals, and the Earth, with climate citizenship education as a core value.

The three main focus areas of the Green Meal Activation Basic Plan are ▲ Establishing an educational foundation for ecological food transition ▲ Operating green meal educational programs ▲ Transitioning to a sustainable food ecological environment through the expansion of green meals.

It is not simply about introducing vegetarian meals but also about establishing an educational foundation to understand the climate crisis and the future of food. The plan includes incorporating food ecological transition education activities as subtopics in school education plans and linking them with the curriculum.

The Office of Education will build scholarship materials and an educational foundation that can be used in the curriculum to improve awareness of open meals and support vegetarian experience events through public-private cooperation.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "Green meals are a declaration of carbon-neutral meals to move beyond 10 years of eco-friendly free meals toward a sustainable and coexisting Earth," adding, "We will establish a comprehensive plan for food ecological transition education, evaluate 10 years of eco-friendly free meals, and lay the foundation for long-lasting food meals based on the value of carbon neutrality."