Nearly 4,000 people have signed a petition for the Continuation of Free Choice of Vegetarian Meals in Lisbon Schools since the announcement by the City Council, led by Carlos Moedas, that as of January 1 of the next year, it will no longer be available as an ad hoc choice.
The petitioners demand this decision be revoked and that vegetarian meals continue to be available as a free choice and not just for “students whose families formally assume a permanent vegetarian regime, through a validation process” with the municipality.
“This decision is unacceptable and represents a setback in policies of sustainability, freedom of choice, and food education,” the petition states.
The signatories argue that “limiting access to vegetarian meals only to those who ‘formally assume a permanent regime’ is a form of food discrimination, contrary to the spirit of Law No. 11/2017, which precisely aims to guarantee the right to a vegetarian option in public canteens, without impositions or administrative barriers.” They also add that “many parents and students choose vegetarian meals for health, environmental, ethical, or personal preference reasons, and it is unacceptable that the Lisbon City Council hinders access to this choice.”
In addition to calling on the Lisbon municipality to maintain “free and accessible marking of vegetarian meals for all students, without the need to justify or prove the family dietary regime,” the petition urges that it “promotes truly sustainable and inclusive food policies, in line with the values it claims to defend” and “ensures that no child or family is discriminated against for their food choices”.
“For a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future,” the petitioners emphasize, recalling that “schools should be spaces of inclusion, learning, and example,” and this “includes respecting food choices that reflect values of health, environment, and empathy”.
“Setback” in Lisbon’s School Food Policy
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, in a statement sent to the newsrooms, the environmental organization WWF Portugal also expressed “great concern” regarding the CML’s decision to remove vegetarian meals as an occasional option in public schools, warning about a “setback” in school food policy.
“By assuming that non-vegetarian children must consume protein of animal origin every day, the City Council does not take into account the scientific evidence showing the impact that diets have on health and the planet. Food systems are responsible for about 30% of CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions in Portugal and have a significant water footprint, especially in the case of beef,” the environmental organization warned.
WWF Portugal also highlighted that “a significant portion of the meat consumed in Portugal is imported from countries where extensive livestock farming directly contributes to deforestation,” with severe consequences for biodiversity and global climate balance.
This non-governmental organization further stressed that excessive meat consumption, particularly red meat, is associated with increased health risks.
Quoted in a statement, Bianca Mattos, Policy Coordinator at WWF Portugal, considered that “offering alternatives only for declared vegetarian families is a huge mistake and extremely limiting,” adding that the option to reduce animal protein consumption should be encouraged and made available to all children, “as it is not a dietary restriction but a choice for a healthier and more sustainable diet.”
The WWF Portugal representative also advocated that meals with plant-based proteins, with legumes such as peas, beans, lentils, and fava beans, in addition to reducing the environmental impact of food, “are healthy, nutritious, balanced, tasty and bring an important component of diet diversification, which is even more essential from a nutritional viewpoint.”
“It is essential that the Lisbon City Council revises this policy and positions itself alongside the world’s most modern municipalities, recognizing their role in combating the climate crisis and integrating the sustainability perspective transversally into public policies,” said Bianca Mattos.
Today, WWF Portugal expressed “great concern” about the Lisbon City Council’s decision to remove vegetarian meals as an occasional option in public schools, warning about a “setback” in school food policy.
Lusa | 15:26 – 27/10/2025
Lisbon Council Restricts Choice of Vegetarian Meals in Schools
On Tuesday, the CML informed the parents of students in Lisbon public schools that “as of January 1, 2026, the vegetarian option will no longer be visible on the booking panel,” stating that this choice “cannot be made available on an occasional basis, being reserved exclusively for cases where the vegetarian regime is assumed continuously and structurally.”
In response to the Lusa agency, the office of the Education Councilor, Sofia Athayde (CDS-PP), stated that “it is not true that the free choice of vegetarian meals will end,” explaining that the issue is “not a change, but a clarification of existing rules,” to “strongly reduce food waste caused by the unpredictability of the number of meals to be prepared each day.”
