Helsinki bets on vegetarian catering

Vegetarian dishes, oat milk instead of cow's milk, fair-trade coffee: Helsinki's city hall is committing to climate-friendly food from now on.

No more meat at events

For the sake of the climate, Helsinki's city hall intends to stop serving meat at seminars, staff meetings, receptions, and other events. To reduce the CO2 footprint of the Finnish capital, vegetarian dishes and locally sourced fish from sustainable aquaculture will be offered from January, said the city administration's communications director, Liisa Kivelä. Schools and canteens operated by the city are exempt from the change to the menu.

For certain high-ranking visits or similar events organised by Mayor Juhana Vartiainen or top officials, exceptions to the rule would also be possible. It will also be mandatory in future that coffee, tea, or food items such as bananas offered at relevant events must come from fair-trade sources. Oat milk will replace conventional milk, and snacks and drinks may no longer be served in single-use packaging.

Meat consumption in Finland on the decline

The city administration stated that the measure is part of large-scale efforts aimed at reducing the climate impact of food and diminishing the extent of natural resources used by the city.

According to the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, however, meat consumption in the country of around 5.5 million inhabitants has fallen for two consecutive years. More and more people are turning to plant-based alternatives.