Make our canteen affordable again!

To the Executive Board,

In recent years, prices in the Zernike canteens have skyrocketed. This is partly due to inflation, but also to the greed of the canteen operators. Many students are currently being deprived of a basic necessity. All students have the right to an affordable lunch.

These catering companies are out to make a profit with absurdly high margins. In some parts of the city, such as the Zernike campus, they hold a de facto monopoly. This allows them to easily get away with absurd food prices.

In a country where students are already struggling with sky-high rents, expensive groceries, and tuition costs, they should not be exploited yet again for a basic need. An alternative must be created that is not profit-driven and whose mission is to provide students and teachers with food, for example by utilizing volunteers.

Thousands of students spend long hours on campus every day. We therefore believe that the Hanze and RUG must take responsibility for the well-being of all students, including by offering them an option for affordable food without having to leave campus. Furthermore, it has been proven time and again that someone who has not eaten well is less able to learn and perform effectively. As an educational institution, that should be the primary goal.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the Executive Boards of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences and University of Groningen to do the following:

• Support a volunteer-run, non-profit canteen at Zernike. All students must have the opportunity to eat affordable and healthy meals on campus;
• Allow all study and student associations, students and teachers to cook and share food, without a caterer being able to object;
• Make our canteens affordable again. Educational institutions have a duty of care toward students.