Meat and dairy products are set to be banned on a Scottish university campus after students voted to go vegan.
Stirling University's students' union backed a move towards a plant-based menu at the three food outlets it controls, with activists to demand that the policy is adopted across the entire institution.
The campaign group Animal Rebellion, which has links to Extinction Rebellion, said the move was a UK-first and would help "address the climate and ecological emergencies" due to emissions linked to farming.
However, the Countryside Alliance branded it an "illogical" snub to Scottish farmers and called on the university to intervene to ensure a more democratic process.
The Telegraph says only around 100 of the university's 17,000 students took part in the vote.
"Obviously this is an attack on freedom of choice imposed by a tiny number of students on the wider student body," said Mo Metcalf-Fisher, spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance.
Sustainable local meat
"Stirling's students' union would be much better off sourcing sustainable local meat and dairy produce from Scottish farmers instead.
"How can an avocado flown in from South America have eco-superiority over a piece of grass-fed beef from a local farm?
"Stirling University should demonstrate its support for Scottish farmers by ensuring they continue to supply meat and dairy, irrespective of what its students' union decide to do."
The university said that the vote would only affect outlets run by the students' union and that it remained committed to offering "choice" at the catering facilities it controlled.
However, Imogen Robertson, a 21-year-old student at Stirling, said campaigners would be seeking talks with the university about imposing the meat and dairy ban across the campus.
"We won't be shying away from having the difficult conversations around the need for transitioning to a plant-based food system," she said.
Push for transition
"We are planning to meet and discuss our campaign with the university itself and to push for the transition to plant-based catering to go further than just the student union.
"We know there is a lot of work to do, but are prepared to work with all parties to facilitate this UK-first being a reality."
The motion backed by students calls for the 50% of products at the union to be plant-based by September next year, rising to 100% by 2025.
A spokesman for the union told the Telegraph the move would have "a commercial implication" and that further scrutiny of the plan was needed.
However, he said he was confident that "given the current policy we will be able to work positively with the motion's direction as directed by our members".
In 2020, students at Edinburgh University rejected a ban on selling beef on campus, with 58% of around 6,000 students voting against the proposal.