Cutting Out (Some of) the Meat at Harvard

A petition that urges HUHDS (that’s HUDS with an H, for those who forgot) to reduce its service of meat has been making rounds over House e-mail lists, spurring some conversation about its merits.

So we called up the student behind the petition—Talia B. Lavin '12, the creator of the Harvard Meat Less Initiative—to find out what she hopes will come out of her efforts and why she believes in this cause.

“I’ve read Fast Food Nation, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Food Politics, and I’ve seen Food, Inc., Super Size Me, and The Future of Food,” Lavin said. “I went to see Jonathan Safran Foer speak about his book Eating Animals, and I thought I should finally do something.”

The petition commends HUHDS for its "efforts to create a more sustainable and thoughtful dining hall environment" and "general commitment to local, environmentally responsible cuisine."

But the amount of meat HUHDS serves undermines these efforts because it is detrimental to the environment, the petition says.

Lavin suggested omitting meat entrées for one meal a day or one day a week, which she said would have a substantial effect given the size of the College’s student body.

"It’d be good for vegetarians who suffer from the lack of options, not to mention it’s a cost-saving measure," said Lavin. But she added that she is most concerned with the environment and bringing attention to the "very shitty state of contemporary animal agriculture."

Lavin, who admitted she is not a vegetarian, said she is not trying to crusade for animal rights.

"I try to have at least one meal a day where I don’t eat meat, and I’m working to increase that," she said.

Lavin’s goal is for the petition to receive 800 signatures, and she has been amassing signatories through House lists and friends. She said she plans to push the petition’s presence over open lists and is considering tabling in the dining halls.

"I think HUHDS is a very responsive program because it has such a direct relationship with the students," Lavin said when asked about the effectiveness of her campaign. "If they have 6,000 people to serve and 800 people want less meat, I think they’ll listen."

Lavin said she is aware that some students disagree with the cause driving the petition, but she added that she is insistent on seeing this project through to its completion.

"It’d be interesting to hear what the other side has to say," she said. "But I have some pretty strong arguments against them."

Photo by Kane Hsieh/The Harvard Crimson.