Farmers demonstrated on Monday to denounce meatless menus in school canteens in Lyon.

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O. Chassignole / AFP

  • In disagreement with the decision to temporarily impose meatless menus in school canteens in Lyon, the breeders demonstrated.

  • They received the support of Gérard Collomb, the former mayor of Lyon who had nevertheless taken the same decision in May.

    And for the same health reasons.

  • Traveling to Lyon, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, felt that “there was no need to argue”.

Each day has its share of reactions.

The decision to introduce unique meatless menus in schools in Lyon this Monday has still not passed.

Since Friday, mayor EELV Grégory Doucet has beaten down to apply the same measure as his predecessor, Gérard Collomb, because of the same health constraints… Nothing helps.

A dozen farmers demonstrated this Monday morning under the windows of the Town Hall to express their disagreement and their concerns.

"The argument of the health protocol is a pretext behind which they hide to implement their electoral promise of a vegetarian menu", attacks Pascal Girin, president of the FDSEA of the Rhône.

Gérard Collomb alongside the breeders

Gérard Collomb, the former mayor of Lyon, who also had decided to impose unique menus without meat on May 11, when schools reopened, joined the demonstrators, sharing their fears.

"Yes, we had done that but at the time, the situation was extremely different", defends the former elected who sees in this decision, similar to his, "a double discourse" between "health justification and desire to reduce meat consumption ”.

Not enough to make Grégory Doucet waver.

“The spring health protocol was no more demanding.

On the contrary, it was less, ”he replies, recalling that schools could not accommodate all the children at the same time, as is the case today.

“There is no ideology, only common sense.

The rest is just political controversy, ”he adds.

"Almost half of children usually choose meatless menus"

“The health protocols of the National Education require constant adaptations.

The city of Lyon had to apply in this new school year the sixth protocol in less than a year, always more restrictive, while maintaining a quality public service for 29,000 meals per day ", recalls the municipality, which argues that" nearly half of the children usually choose meatless menus ”.

A delegation of representatives of the FDSEA beef industry, Young Farmers and Interbev was nevertheless received at the Town Hall at the end of the morning.

They were reminded that "the choice of a menu with or without meat will return to the plates as soon as the health protocol in force is lightened".

"In the meantime, the city has undertaken to offer, as much as possible, the reinstatement of a choice between several menus", she adds, reiterating her "support for local agriculture".

In addition, Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health traveling to Lyon on Monday, felt that there was “no need to argue” about unique menus without meat.

“I'm not shocked that we can offer menus without meat or fish at school.

The question is, what is the underlying motivation.

For me there is no need to argue, but to pay attention to the children's diet, ”he concluded as if he wanted to whistle the end of recess.

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  • Lyon

  • Gerard Collomb

  • Meat

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Canteen

  • EELV

  • Gregory Doucet

  • Society