Warwick Student Union's decision to ban meat and dairy has been criticised by rural campaigners after a 'tiny minority' vote imposes vegan catering.
The motion, pushed by the group Plant-Based Organisations, narrowly passed earlier this month in a student-held vote.
It means meat and dairy products will be banned from the Warwick University's Student Union catering.
A total of 774 voted in favour of the motion, while 518 voted against and 180 students abstained.
Vivek Venkatram, Plant-Based Universities campaigner and president of Warwick’s Vegan Society, said: “We want this change to benefit everyone.”
The decision to roll out the move upon Warwick’s 28,600 students was made by only 2.7% of the student body.
Rural campaigners have raised concern about whether the change was made with the interests of the wider student population in mind.
The Countryside Alliance has urged students "who care about British farming and freedom of choice" to push for another vote.
In doing so, Warwick could join Edinburgh University, which rejected a motion to mandate plant-based menus this year.
Students at the University of Bristol have voted against a motion to ban meat and dairy at its Students’ Union (SU) outlets just last week.
And in 2019, the University of East Anglia overturned a previous decision to switch to all-vegan catering at outlets after a vote was held by its wider student body.
Sabina Roberts, a spokeswoman for the Countryside Alliance, said: “Students shouldn’t let such a small cohort get away with isolating the wider student population.
"Vegan campaigners are welcome to present their arguments in favour of plant-based diets, but should not impose a diet in university-affiliated buildings.
"Students should take on their democratic duty and place forward a counter-motion that keeps meat on the menu.”
The motion’s proponents pushed the idea that plant-based diets were the only way to meet sustainability targets, despite data suggesting that British meat is amongst the most sustainable in the world.
It comes after Cornwall, North Northamptonshire, Portsmouth and Suffolk councils all voted to keep meat and dairy on their menus, while urging people to shop locally.
Last week, students at Cardiff University voted to reject a motion that would have seen all union catering outlets go 100% plant-based by the 2026-27 academic year.
