It could bring more peace to lessons and contribute to improved learning, happiness, equality and health. It could then be a driver for a green transition. Free meals at Denmark’s main university, where academics are based, have long been seen as a Swiss Army knife that can tackle many problems head-on.
The university dining debate culminated on Monday 10 June with a national political session in Christiansborg, initiated by Ida Auken and Astrid Krag, and attended by food minister Jacob Jensen, social affairs minister Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil and others from the municipalities, faculties and kitchens, among others. The aim was to define the university dining controversy in practice and to set a standard path for dialogue on university dining.
“Many people in the food world don’t understand why the university world hasn’t embraced the idea of college dining with a kiss of the hand. So it’s invaluable to bring the two worlds closer together,” explains food rapporteur Ida Auken (S). “I was moved myself after understanding how many issues green college dining can help address: child and adolescent health, social issues, classroom calm, the green transition, and the need to build community and food.”
Good help – mixed map
There is also a strong curiosity about classroom meals among many residents. 85% support university meals in all major faculties in the country, shows a recent measurement from the Madkulturen group, which facilitated and coordinated the session. On the other hand, those in favor of university meals are divided on the issue of funding – some 41% think it should be free, while 37% think it should be paid for by individuals.
When you look at the Danish university meal map, the picture is very mixed. Around 65% of universities offer some type of meal plan, and there is a huge variation in what is served and how much it costs.
Rapporteur on youth and training Astrid Krag (S) referred to the current situation as follows: “The adjustments in the faculties did not happen in a day. With the new arrangement at the first university, additional space was freed up and secured for indigenous variations and for concepts that arose from below and within the country. This also applies to the issue of university meals, which can be considered together with a more rational university, more electives and work on health and calm in the classroom. And 2.6 billion dollars for higher education rooms. It is a huge benefit that some faculties have come forward and are in the process. You can learn a lot from them. The task now is also to bring the faculties and the city to where they are not yet with university meals,” she said.
Læsø leads the way
Among the many cities leading the way in university meals is the City of Læsø. Here, all students are provided with one free, non-vegetarian meal every day, Tobias Birch Johansen (V), mayor of Læsø, explained at the hearing:
“This initiative really came from the school board, otherwise it would never have happened. At least 40% of the school meals are green, but green is only a part of the profit. For us, it’s about better health because everyone will be eating the same meal, although we won’t really see the results for a few years,” he said, explaining that it would take collaboration with other kitchens on the island to find capacity.
Some are known as travel groups that can accumulate all the great experiences and advise cities and departments that want to start or develop educational programs at their universities.
“Obviously there are huge differences in service, tradition and ambition across Denmark. So it’s not possible to roll out a big model for school meals for everyone right now – even if we had billions of dollars. But there’s nothing stopping you from building locally where you stand and what you can do from there. A tour group makes sense, because the interest is there, but the pitfalls are many, and support is far from there,” says Judith Kyst, director of Madkulturen.
Senior Vice President, Professor, Doctor of Medicine Arne Astrup from Novo Nordisk Basis, who also attended the hearing, also highlighted the need to accumulate data and experience: “The hearing highlighted the need for a summary report on the importance of university meals for health, learning, well-being and leveling social inequalities, and what model would make sense to introduce in Denmark,” he said, and continued: “Perhaps there is also a need for further analysis on whether it is a source of social funding.”
Information about university meals in Denmark
- Two-thirds of mainstream schools nationwide now provide lunch in one form or another.
- For most students, lunch boxes remain a part of the lunch menu. Nine out of 10 receive a lunch box during a typical school week, while one in five receive meals from a meal plan, according to a 2024 study conducted by Epinion for Madkulturen.
- According to the survey, 85% of Danes support university meals in the form of state/municipal funded meals (41%), user-paid meals with subsidies (37%) or user-paid meals in full (8%).
- The session on university meals was created on the initiative of the Social Democratic Party by the rapporteur on meals and agriculture Ida Auken and the rapporteur on children’s education Astrid Krag. The session included presentations and debates from advisors and key actors in the sector. There were 85 participants in the conference room, among others from the university world and Maddanmark.
- Listening is recorded and can be reviewed www.madkulturen.dk/skolemad