Winter retreat of PBU Belgium
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Make Ghent University 100% Plant-Based!

Join our student campaign in making the catering more in line with the univeristy's own research and sustainability goals.

2,334goal: 2,500 signatures
93% of goal reached · 166 signatures to go
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Why this campaign?

The case for going
plant-based at Ghent

What is the problem?

57% of food emissions come from animal products

Food systems are responsible for around a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and animal products are the dominant driver. Meat and dairy alone generate more emissions than all the world's planes, ships, and cars combined. Every meal Ghent University serves is a choice between perpetuating this crisis or being part of the solution.

What can we do?

One million meals served per year at Ghent University

Every plate presents an opportunity to make a positive impact. Ghent University has already committed to being climate neutral by 2050. Going 100% plant-based is one of the most visible, controllable ways to actually deliver on that promise, and helps shift public opinion in favour of a plant-based food system.

Is that even possible?

University of Graz went fully plant-based. The VUB students in Brussels passed a vote for 80% — and we are making Ghent University follow next!

Today, 30 departments have made a public commitment towards sustainable food on our website. More than 40 ambassadors have joined in by leaving a quote, from PhD students all the way up to Rector Petra De Sutter.

Is your department and favorite professor already feeding the future? Be sure to check on www.durfplantaardig.be.

In joinging our campaign, you will no longer feel like an individual for whom it is almost impossible to change the broken food system. You will experience what it feels like to organize, to learn and to contribute to real change.

Are you ready to feed the future with us? Join the team!

The campaign in action
Winter retreat of PBU BelgiumOpen meeting with pizzaPBU at the Brussels Climate March in 2026

Want to see yourself here?
Join the team organising in Ghent.

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2,334of 2,500
93% of goal reached
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Campaign updates
Oct 2026Win
2.300 signatures!!!!

We digitalized our signatures today and realized we're well over 2.000 signatures now! What a win!!

Reached over 2.300 signatures!
Oct 2026Update
Climate March

On the 11th of October, over 50 PBU'ers from all over Belgium showed up at the climate march in Brussels! In total, around 60.000 people marched for the climate in Brussels that day! We were by far the loudest and largest group marching and ended up in many international newspapers over the subsequent days

Oct 2026Win
Biggest PBU meeting ever?!!!

41 people showed up at our weekly meeting! This is the biggest meeting in PBU historyyyy!!!!

Largest PBU meeting to date!
Sept 2026Update
Our massive Semester Kick-Off Event!

Over 100 people showed up at our kick-off event!!!! This was our first organised event of the new academic year and we saw campaigners from UGent, Artevelde, HoGent, KASK, LUCA and VUB. It was amazing to see so many new and enthusiastic faces!


Sept 2026Update
Schamper article

We had our first feature in the university magazine! It was an interview with Hanna and Maurice, some of our most valued team members!

Aug 2026Update
UK summer camp

7 Belgians attended the UK summer camp! Most were invited specifically because of the good energy and positive vibes we brought to the West Germany camp! #swag

Jul 2026Update
West Germany summer camp

Almost 20 Ghent PBU'ers came to the West Germany summer camp, out of almost 40 Belgian campaigners. We were by far the largest group attending and had soooooo much fun. Our days were filled with interesting hands-on workshops and discussions and debates, and we all left invigorated for the upcoming semester. These summer camps are so important for building team cohesion and we really value the importance of such opportunities!

May 2026Update
Our 2025 Wrap Up Meeting!

The last meeting of the academic year! Saying goodbye to some lovely members as they graduate or leave the country :'(

Apr 2026Update
We had some BIG Meet & Greens!
Mar 2026Milestone
Biggest meeting so far

17 members!

Mar 2026Win
The rector signed our petition!

Petra and Herwig, the Rector and vice-rector of our university signed our petition!

Feb 2026Update
Panel Discussion


Some important people discussed plant-based catering at UGent. An interesting discussion followed.

  • Joppe Massant (PBU mediator)
  • Ines Cottignie (Researcher sustainable food economies at KU Leuven)
  • Basile Peeters (Student representative on UGent’s Board of Governors)
  • Elena Lievens (Co-founder of EVAvzw/ProVeg Belgium)
  • Kiri Campbell (European Environmental Bureau)
Feb 2026Update
Maurice & Fien's first meeting

13 members showed up to our meeting! New faces and heaps of enthusiasm!

Feb 2026Update
Winter Retreat

Joppe, Ruby, Lucas, Manon, Klaas, Hanna, Anton and Tara went to the Belgium winter retreat. At this point the UGent team has around 8 active members.

Our campaigners at the Belgian Winter Retreat in Wallonia
Sept 2025Milestone
Initial meetings with some early campaigners + Ruby's first meeting
Nov 2024Milestone
200 signatures reached

Our initial goal was 1000 signatures. We reached 200 after only 2 months of outreach!

Aug 2024Launch
Launch of campaign in Ghent


Hanna officially launched the PBU campaign at Ghent University.

Early campaigners at Ghent University holding our banner
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2,334
signatures · goal: 2,500
93% of goal reached
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Your signature goes directly to the University administration. Every name counts. We're 166 away from our goal.

2,334
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The petition text
To the board of governors of Ghent University
Plant-Based Universities is an international grassroots student campaign calling for universities to transition in a just and sustainable way to 100% plant-based catering. This institutional transition significantly limits the university’s own contribution to the climate and nature crises, and it shifts public opinion in favour of a fully plant-based food system. The campaign is currently active in over 90 universities in Europe and the United Kingdom. Through this petition, we ask UGent to be part of the transition towards a sustainable and just plant-based food system by transitioning to 100% plant-based catering. From climate science we learn that a transition to a plant-based diet is necessary to address the climate crisis, universities therefore play an important role in spreading this message. We are aiming for 2000 signatures to show UGent that the students support this transition. Your support could make all the difference. Sign to help end the climate crisis and make UGent a truly just and sustainable university.

We’re an international movement, so don’t forget the country code!

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