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69 resources

FRESH to Table: A Homegrown Dining Initiative

  • Boston College (MA)

FRESH is a Boston College Dining Services (BCDS) initiative that stands for Fairly traded, Regional, Equitable, Sustainable, and Healthy. With these FRESH parameters, BCDS seeks to source food and food ...

  • Posted Feb. 21, 2024
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Sustainable and Healthful Food Purchasing Policy at Lehigh University

  • Lehigh University (PA)

This session is designed to educate sustainability staff, university business service departments, and campus dining executives on ways to incorporate healthy and sustainable food into their campus operations. This session ...

  • Posted Feb. 21, 2024
  • Conference Presentations
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Implementing Coolfood at Three US Universities

  • Harvard University (MA)
  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)
  • Williams College (MA)
  • World Resources Institute (DC)

Coolfood Pledge members commit to a target of reducing GHG emissions associated with the food they serve by 25 percent by 2030. Learn about the credible and proven way to ...

  • Posted Feb. 21, 2024
  • Conference Presentations
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The Why and How Behind Aligning Your Institution’s Values With its Food Purchases

  • Emory University (GA)
  • Spelman College (GA)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • Bon Appétit Management Company
  • The Common Market

What is the impact of your purchases? Is your food service program taking steps to align its values—local sourcing, equity and diversity, climate, health, and beyond—with its purchases ...

  • Posted Oct. 19, 2023
  • Videos & Webinars
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Reusable Goods Used at Student Run Coffee Shop

  • Tufts University (MA)

The Sink, a student-run coffee shop, implements reusable dishware and fair trade coffee when serving beverages at the Tufts University campus center.


Community relationships and sustainable university food procurement

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)

Many universities are working toward more sustainable campus dining food systems. Third-party standards that offer definitions of sustainable food and outline procurement goals are one tool universities can use to ...

  • Posted June 15, 2023
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Evaluating the successes and challenges toward achieving the Real Food Commitment at Johns Hopkins University

  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)
  • SAGE Fund

With their significant purchasing power, institu­tions of higher education can create substantial changes in the food system through their food purchases. The Real Food Challenge launched a national campaign ...

  • Posted June 15, 2023
  • Publications
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FRESH to Table: A Homegrown Dining Initiative

  • Boston College (MA)

Boston College (BC) seeks to foster the ethical and personal formation of its students to prepare them for citizenship, service, and leadership in a global society. In addition, as a ...


Lightning Talks: Campus Operations (Group 4)

  • Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
  • State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)
  • Farm to Institution New England (VT)

This session consists of 3 15-minute Lightning Talk sessions related to campus operations. The Lightning Talks are: Innovations in Sustainable Procurement: A Campus Green Purchasing Guide - This session introduces a ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
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Essential Food Workers and University Purchasing Power

  • Georgetown University (DC)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

Food workers are essential, yet they endure wage theft, harassment, trafficking, discrimination, and hazardous working conditions. As institutional purchasers, universities have the purchasing power to improve labor conditions within their ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
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Augsburg University’s Local Food Initiative: Student-Designed, Locally-Sourced

  • Augsburg University (MN)

In 2020, Augsburg University’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship launched Augsburg Local, a campaign to leverage Augsburg University’s purchasing power to support local businesses. Purchasing at Augsburg ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
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The Working Farms Fund: Partnership to Build a Sustainable Local Food System and Support a Diverse New Generation of Farmers

  • Emory University (GA)
  • The Conservation Fund (GA)

Emory University has partnering with the national non-profit The Conservation Fund (TCF) to support a diverse new generation of farmers in rural Georgia and help build the local food supply ...


Students’ knowledge and expectations about sustainable food systems in higher education

  • University of Gastronomic Sciences (Piedmont)
  • ISARA Agro School for Life
  • Eesti Maaülikool, EMÜ
  • FH Münster
  • Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego (Warsaw)
  • University of Kassel
  • University of Copenhagen
  • Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

To clarify needs and requests of the young generation to the contemporary and future education on food systems, this paper aims to examine the following issues: students’ background knowledge, students ...


The Perceived Importance and Intended Purchasing Patterns of Sustainable Foods in Australian University Students

  • Western Sydney University (NSW)
  • University of Tasmania (TAS)

Although there has been considerable research on consumers’ opinions about sustainable foods and purchasing behaviors, the experience of university students remains unclear. This study aims to characterize university students’ perceptions ...


Implementation of a Single-Use Plastics Ban: Navigating Contracts, Procurement, and Outreach

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

In 2020, the UC system passed a single-use plastics policy that aims to greatly reduce plastics on campuses and health systems. The policy went into effect in 2021, starting with ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
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Simplifying Sustainable Procurement: EPA's Recommendations of Standards and Ecolabels

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program harnesses the power of the over 650 billon dollar federal pocketbook to catalyze a more sustainable marketplace for all - reducing climate impacts, improving ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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The Carbon and Nitrogen Footprint of Food

  • Stanford University (CA)
  • University of New Hampshire (NH)

Food purchasing can be a significant component of campus carbon and nitrogen footprints. SIMAP (unhsimap.org) is a web-based campus footprint tool that calculates the carbon and nitrogen emissions from ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Expanding Sustainability: Using Food Procurement to Help Poultry Workers (through a new consortium)

  • Georgetown University (DC)
  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of Michigan (MI)

Many colleges and universities are working on sustainable procurement goals, but how many of us have looked at social sustainability and the impact of our procurement on workers? During the ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
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Food at the University of Michigan: A Report Developed for and Supported by the U-M President's Commission on Carbon Neutrality

  • University of Michigan (MI)

This report was compiled during the academic year of 2019-2020 for the University of Michigan (U-M) President's Commission on Carbon Neutrality by the Food Internal Analysis Team. Through its ...

  • Posted Nov. 17, 2021
  • Publications
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We are Uprooted and Rising: The Fight for Food Sovereignty in Higher Ed

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

What does it look like to have a future that nourishes and sustains all of us for generations to come? How can colleges and universities support that future for their ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
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Using the Real Food Database in Food Procurement

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

What food products are Real? Which vendors are verified as fair, ecological, and/or humane? Now, institutions can find out through the Real Food Database! Compiled from years of research ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Looking ahead to 2030: Updating the University of California Sustainable Food Policy

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

In 2009, the University of California (UC) developed a goal to meet 20% sustainable food by 2020, asking each UC campus to integrate sustainable food into their menus while remaining ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
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Go DefaultVeg: Using Behavioral Nudges to Reduce Food-Related GHG Emissions at Your Institution

  • Harvard University (MA)
  • Better Food Foundation (DC)

Colleges and universities are increasingly attempting to measure and reduce their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Among the largest contributors of Scope 3 emissions are transportation and food. In 2019 ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Transforming Your Supply Chain for a Sustainable Future

  • Aramark (PA)
  • Better Food Foundation (DC)
  • Harvest Table Culinary Group (PA)

Developing a resilient food system is a crucial task for de-escalating and reversing the interrelated social and ecological crises unfolding as a result of industrial scale animal agriculture. Universities and ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Good Food, Good Data, Big Impact: Innovative Approaches to Capturing Farm to Institution Impact

  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

Interest in purchasing and serving local foods in campus dining continues to grow, but documenting and quantifying the benefits and impacts of these purchases, including for local producers, is challenging ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Reducing Scope Three Carbon Emissions Through Behavior Change & Menu Labeling

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

In October 2020, UC Berkeley’s Cal Dining implemented carbon emission labels to better inform customers about the carbon impact of the recipes served in the dining hall. Student researchers ...


How Brandeis reduced our food carbon footprint over 20% in its first sustainable dining program

  • Brandeis University (MA)

This case study reviews how Brandeis harnessed the RFP and contracting process for a new dining vendor in 2019-2021 to make huge and first-ever strides in sustainability in our dining ...


Reducing Dining Emissions: An Analysis of Beef and Milk Substitutions

  • Smith College (MA)
  • AASHE (PA)

The life cycle of food is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through production, processing, distribution, and waste. The environmental impact of specific foods varies ...

  • Posted Jan. 28, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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Reducing Smith College’s Dining GHG emissions: An analysis of beef and milk substitutions

  • Smith College (MA)

The life cycle of food is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through production, processing, distribution, and waste. The environmental impact of food varies by ...


Project-Based Learning in a Transinstitutional Research Setting: Case Study on the Development of Sustainable Food Products

  • University of Graz
  • FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences (Steiermark)

Project-based learning (PBL) has been thoroughly integrated in university sustainable development curricula, but has not been well-established in curricula used at pre-university educational levels. Integrating real-world settings into the teaching ...


Sustainable and Local Food Diversity and Affordability: Successful Procurement Case Studies

  • Aramark (PA)
  • FarmLogix, LLC (IL)

Sustainable and local sourcing was once a movement of privilege used by high-end chefs to delight dining patrons. In this informative session, you will be taken into several case studies ...

  • Posted Dec. 4, 2019
  • Conference Presentations
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Turning Values Into Results: The Real Food Calculator and Real Food Procurement

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

Through their purchasing power, institutions of higher education are in a position to create positive change in our food system that is currently dominated by industrial agriculture and exploitative, unsustainable ...

  • Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Sustaining Local Producers Through University Purchasing

  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)

Universities have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in their local economies by buying local. Through their large purchasing power in food procurement, universities can support a local food ...

  • Posted Dec. 4, 2019
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Supporting a Sustainable Economy Through Partnership With Local Food Hubs

  • Gonzaga University (WA)
  • Sodexo USA (MD)
  • Puget Sound Food Hub (WA)
  • LINC Foods (WA)

This session will showcase how to effectively collaborate with local producers to build a more sustainable economy through increased purchases of local products and to raise awareness about food systems ...

  • Posted Dec. 4, 2019
  • Conference Presentations
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The Future of Real Food

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

The past ten years have seen a dramatic shift in real food purchasing on college and university campuses. Local food and sustainability are now common conversations in campus dining. Values ...

  • Posted Dec. 4, 2019
  • Conference Presentations
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Good Food Purchasing Program, University of Texas at Austin

  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

Good Food Purchasing Program - University of Texas at Austin is the first institution of higher education to participate in the Good Food Purchasing Program as a partner with the City ...


Attitudes of dining customers towards sustainability-related food values at a public University campus

  • Oregon State University (OR)
  • University of Wisconsin-Extension (WI)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

The plethora of alternative food labels emerging in the marketplace reflects consumer interest in informed and sustainable purchasing. However, consumers’ preferences vary with respect to the sustainability metrics represented by ...


From contracts to culture: Exploring how to leverage local, sustainable food purchasing by institutions for food systems change

  • Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (ON)

In recent years, certain hospitals, schools, and campuses across Canada have shown that they can transform their practices to serve more local and sustainable food. These changes have often been ...

  • Posted March 6, 2019
  • Publications
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Self-operated vs. corporate contract: A study of food procurement at two universities in Manitoba

  • University of Manitoba (MB)
  • University of Waterloo (ON)

Public institutions are increasingly being pressured to demonstrate how they are meeting their responsibilities and obligations to sustainability. Yet there is little academic research on food procurement at universities in ...

  • Posted March 6, 2019
  • Publications
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University of Vermont Dining Services Vendor RFP

  • University of Vermont (VT)
  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

Request for Proposals for the University of Vermont's dining services provider, specifying ways that the Real Food Challenge and other sustainability measures are to be incorporated into the vendor ...


The Real Impact of Real Food: 8 Ways Institutional Procurement is Building Real Food Economy

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

This report pulls from interviews of 50 Real Food vendors across the US detailing how commitments to purchasing Real Food has improved their livelihoods and the overall infrastructure for a ...

  • Posted Dec. 21, 2018
  • Publications
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Put Your Fork Where Your Ethics Are: Exploring Food Systems & Leveraging University Purchasing Power

  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)

Do you support climate change? What about modern-day slavery? You don't have to answer that, the food that you buy already does. Worldwide, food is an essential commodity that ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
  • Conference Presentations
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Increasing Local Food Procurement at Ontario's 24 Colleges

  • Mohawk College (ON)

Mohawk College executed an innovative project that proved that by sharing knowledge, resources, and solutions, together, colleges can work together to address systematic barriers to sustainability. The project, Increasing Local ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Dirt on Real/Good Food

  • Macalester College (MN)
  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)
  • University of Calgary (AB)
  • Sodexo USA (MD)

What makes food sustainable? As an institution how do we implement and report sustainable sourcing of food consumed on our campuses? The Good Food Challenge (Canada) and Real Food Challenge ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Researching and Purchasing Real Food on Campus

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

Our institutions of higher education have incredible purchasing power, with food budgets totaling approximately $5 billion. Instead of using their spending to support local and community-based, fair, ecologically sound, and ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Raising the Bar Across North America: Tracking Sustainable Food Purchasing in Higher Education

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)
  • Meal Exchange (ON)

Across the United States, the Real Food Calculator has become a standard-setting tool for local and sustainable food procurement in higher education. This student-led research tool allows universities to assess ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leveraging Sustainability in Food Service Across Campus

  • University of Houston (TX)

The University of Houston has undergone a physical and culture transformation with a different food service provider and new collaboration with our Office of Sustainability. In spring 2017 the Food ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Local Food Sourcing in Kentucky: A Case Study in Higher Ed Collaboration

  • Aramark (PA)

The University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville have a unique approach to sourcing local food. Hear from the Sustainability Managers from their dining services and the Executive Director ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Food Service Contracts and RFPs as Vehicle for Sourcing More Sustainable Food

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)
  • University of Vermont (VT)
  • Farm Forward (OR)

College and universities need new strategies to scale sustainable food procurement. Programs like STARS and the Real Food Challenge have institutionalized sustainable food purchasing targets and many campuses have made ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Encouraging Sustainable Food Purchasing Through Student Programs

  • Skidmore College (NY)

Many institutions endeavor to serve local and sustainable food within its dining services, but the complex and often opaque food system presents significant challenges to identifying and sourcing responsibly-produced products ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
  • Conference Presentations
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