Spilled milk? European Parliament faces backlash on vote against plant-based alternatives in school meals

15 May 2023 — The European Parliament has voted against including plant-based milk, such as almond milk, in the bloc’s Farm to School Scheme – part of the EU Green Deal – causing outcry among health and environmental campaigners, who accuse dairy industry stakeholders of “causing a significant blow” to European diets. 

Funded through the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), the EU budget for the school scheme was set at $275,54 million (US$300 million) per school year from 2017-2023. The funding was distributed among member states according to the number of pupils and the degree of regional development but only reached 16 out of the EU’s 76 million students.