The farmers waited outside Gripenskolan School in Nyköping, then offered the children free hamburgers. Karin Andersson, chairwoman of the Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund farmers’ association, told reporters: “We think the municipality is doing this for the wrong reason.” She went on to say that farmers felt “accused”and that the meat-free day was sending out “the wrong signals – that it is not good to eat meat.”
The school’s decision to go meat free for one day each week was inspired by the Meat Free Monday movement (Köttfri Måndag) which is growing in popularity in Sweden.
“The youth in Nyköping called for a vegetarian day and the politicians supported it”, said Jonas Paulsson, of Köttfri Måndag. “So the youth got involved in politics and the politicians showed responsibility.”
“Eating less meat and discovering new tasty green food is good for animals, the environment, the economy and not least, health. Every year 6,200 swedes are diagnosed with colon cancer.”
Paulsson explained that it was worrying to see the campaign’s efforts sabotaged by some members of the farmers’ association, who chose not to respect the majority decision and instead serve “the worst possible junk food” to students at the school.
“It was really a great day for democracy and the environment, which ironically marked a low point for the opposition against the movement of Meat Free Monday in Sweden.”