At the latest national meeting of the political party Alternativet in Odense, a proposal to exclude meat and milk from the party’s events was voted down. The proposal, presented by members with a background in the Vegan Party, met resistance among several members of the party. The proposal aimed to make all events in Alternativet 100% plant-based, but many members expressed concern that this would be too restrictive and exclusionary.
Simon Nyborg Jensen, one of the proposal’s initiators and a candidate for parliament, passionately argued for the proposal and described his personal struggle to participate in events where animal products are served. During the national meeting, there was also a discussion about how such a change would affect members with special dietary needs requiring animal proteins. A member, Kasper, suggested a more gradual transition to a plant-based diet rather than an abrupt change.
Alternativet’s current agricultural policy still supports the production of pigs and cows in Denmark, but with a significant reduction of 86 percent compared to current levels. The party aims to phase out conventional agriculture, but still wants agriculture to be self-sufficient in meat. Despite support from several members of parliament, including Torsten Gejl, who noted that the proposal was formulated as guidance without sanctions, it was not adopted. This leaves the question of how Alternativet can best balance considerations for animal welfare with members’ freedom and individual needs.