Paper short abstract:

Recent actions in public universities in France and Portugal promote the consumption of plant alternatives at the expense of animal proteins. This paper will focus on the implementation of food policies by intermediaries and on the role of students as target group and agents of change.

Paper long abstract:

Diets that increase the consumption of plant proteins have been receiving significant scientific and political support, especially after the publication of studies on the negative effects of certain animal products to human health and of animal food production to the environment. This context gave rise to new public policies in Europe, including the update of national dietary guidelines and specific actions to encourage the transformation of eating habits. These food "reforms" depend on the ways intermediaries appointed by public authorities - such as universities - interpret and implement policies; on the social positions and the life cycles of target populations; and on how the latter perceive issues related to food (Cardon, Depecker and Plessz, 2019).

This paper will focus on top-down and bottom-up actions in public universities in France and Portugal, where canteens offer a daily vegetarian option based on national regulations, and where autonomous initiatives propose vegan meals or exclude cow meat from menus. Student demand also seems to have risen, since the age group of 18-25 years is precisely the one which decreases or stops the consumption of meat in Europe (France AgriMer, 2019). Additionally, these individuals experience an identity, statutory and social transition during which they develop new sociability networks that can contribute to alter their eating habits. In this sense, the paper will also question how some students could be affected by these "reforms" or become themselves agents of change, by making individual demands or joining associations to promote plant-based options.