Food & Dining

Introduction

Modern industrial food production often has deleterious environmental and social impacts. Institutions can use their food purchases to support their local economies; encourage safe, environmentally friendly and humane farming methods; and help eliminate unsafe working conditions and alleviate poverty for farmers. These actions help reduce environmental impacts, preserve regional farmland, improve local food security, and support fair and resilient food systems. Dining services can also support sustainable food systems by preventing food waste and diverting food materials from the waste stream, by making low impact dining options available, and by educating its customers about more sustainable options and practices.

Featured Resources

1210 resources

Case Study: Oregon State University Becomes the First University to Accept Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) at University Run Grocery Store

  • Oregon State University (OR)

In January 2016, OSU began accepting SNAP at a campus grocery store, allowing individuals with SNAP to access these funds while on campus. OSU is the first to have a ...


The University as a Site of Food Insecurity

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

The project investigated a topic of increasing importance, that of food security among undergraduate students while away at school. Specifically, we examine the topic through two methodological approaches. First, a ...


Orchard Planting: Earth Week

  • Mills College (CA)

Planting the first portion of an orchard at the Mills Community Farm in collaboration with the nonprofits Growing Together and Hip Hop for Change.


State University of New York at Cortland Campus Garden Spring Planting

  • State University of New York at Cortland (NY)

The SUNY Cortland Campus Garden Advisory Committee (consisting of students, staff and faculty) held a bed preparation and planting party at the campus garden.


High School Outreach

  • DePauw University (IN)

DePauw Sustainability Leadership Program members presented on Sustainable Agriculture to 600+ local high school students as part of the high school’s Earth Day celebration.

  • Posted April 28, 2017
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Putnam County & Local Food

  • DePauw University (IN)

DePauw Director of Sustainability, Anthony Baratta, gave a presentation to students and community members at the Putnam County Public Library titled “Hands in the Dirt: Growing Food in Putnam County ...

  • Posted April 28, 2017
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Milkweed Planting

  • DePauw University (IN)

First-year Environmental Fellows and Sustainability Leadership Program members planted milkweed in the campus greenhouse for use in their student-designed pollinator garden.

  • Posted April 28, 2017
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Earth Day Raspberries

  • DePauw University (IN)

Campus Farm members Donna and Mayra ('19) weeded raspberry bushes at the one-acre DePauw organic farm.

  • Posted April 28, 2017
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UMass Amherst Students Bike for Sustainable Smoothies on Earth Day

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

On Friday, April 21st, the University of Massachusetts Amherst celebrated Earth Day at the 47th annual Earth Day Festival. Various sustainability-related organizations on campus and in the greater Pioneer Valley ...

  • Posted April 28, 2017
  • Photographs
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Bike-Powered Smoothie Maker

  • Florida Gulf Coast University (FL)

During our Earth Day event, students had the opportunity to make their own bike-powered smoothie. Our engineering students built the system, as a part of their class project.

  • Posted April 27, 2017
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Dumpster Dive 2017 Western Technical College

  • Western Technical College (WI)

In our efforts to raise awareness of the items that can be recycled here on our Western Technical College Campus we held a “Dumpster Dive”.

We asked our college President ...

  • Posted April 27, 2017
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Central Community College Grand Island Earth Week Expo

  • Central Community College (NE)

Students from the Hospitality Management and Restaurant Management program giving away marigold seeds and promoting their Green Fling event which connected restaurant owners, farmers markets, and local farmers.

  • Posted April 27, 2017
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Utah State University Earth Day 2017

  • Utah State University (UT)

April 21, 2017

9:00 AM- 12:00 PM Yoga, live music, tabling on the Quad
12:30 PM Featured speaker Stacy Bare, TSC Auditorium
2:00-5:00 PM Service ...
  • Posted April 27, 2017
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The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network: A Multi-Institution Program to Research and Reduce Nitrogen Pollution

  • University of Virginia (VA)
  • Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
  • Brown University (RI)
  • Dickinson College (PA)
  • Colorado State University (CO)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • University of Chicago (IL)

Humans release reactive nitrogen into the environment at a rate that is 4 to 5 times as large as from natural terrestrial processes. They do this by producing and applying ...

  • Posted April 26, 2017
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Earth Day Reception and Award Ceremony at Indiana University South Bend

  • Indiana University South Bend (IN)

Every year, the Center for a Sustainable Future at IU South Bend thanks our supporters, celebrates the considerable accomplishments they have made possible during the last year, and awards student ...

  • Posted April 26, 2017
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Feeding the Flames: A Report on Student Hunger at UIC

  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)

This report represents the results of a yearlong study of student food insecurity at UIC conducted by students and faculty in the School of Public Health, Division of Environmental and ...

  • Posted April 21, 2017
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SFA Dining Waste Audit

  • Stephen F. Austin State University (TX)
  • Aramark (PA)

We conducted a waste audit in our Dining Halls to see how much food we waste!

  • Posted April 11, 2017
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SFA Dining Earth Month Kick Off

  • Stephen F. Austin State University (TX)
  • Aramark (PA)

We kicked off Earth Month by participating in our campus Earth Month Celebration & Plant Sale and by encouraging plant-based eating at a station takeover in our Dining Hall.

  • Posted April 11, 2017
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Using Model-Based Reasoning and Experiential Learning to Understand and Improve Sustainability in a Campus Food System

  • Warren Wilson College (NC)
  • AASHE (PA)

The webinar describes an introductory sustainability course at Warren Wilson College that explores the campus food system. Warren Wilson College has a sustainable dining policy and has adopted the Real ...

  • Posted April 7, 2017
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Campus Dining 101: A Benchmark Study on Farm to College in New England

  • Farm to Institution New England (VT)

Farm to Institution New England is pleased to announce a report that highlights the data collected from college dining operators in the region. This is the second report in our ...

  • Posted March 21, 2017
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The Menus of Change Protein Flip

  • The Culinary Institute of America (NY)

The Protein Flip, an outcome of the Menus of Change initiative, is available as a resource for foodservice operators of all kinds. This material centers around the concept of “the ...


Menus of Change Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus

  • The Culinary Institute of America (NY)

These principles are part of the Menus of Change initiative by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.


AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Sustainability, Food Systems and Entrepreneurship

  • Portland Community College (OR)
  • Temple University (PA)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
  • AASHE (PA)

The food movement comes in many shapes and sizes. People wonder more now than ever, where does my food come from? How is it grown? Who grows it? Who has ...

  • Posted March 7, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Fields of Learning: The Student Farm Movement in North America

  • Berea College (KY)

Where will the next generation of farmers come from? What will their farms look like? Fields of Learning: The Student Farm Movement in North America provides a concrete set of ...


Case study for evaluating campus sustainability: nitrogen balance for the University of Minnesota

  • Carleton College (MN)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)

American ecologists recently began to address the ecology of cities. Concurrently, higher education institutions have developed sustainability education programs and instituted sustainability policies and projects. This paper draws together these ...

  • Posted Jan. 27, 2017
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Communicating sustainability: student perceptions of a behavior change campaign

  • University of Arizona (AZ)
  • University of Calgary (AB)

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impacts of a science-based environmental communication campaign at a university dining hall. The impacts are assessed in terms of student attitudes toward sustainability ...

  • Posted Jan. 13, 2017
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Executive Education Program in Sustainable Food Systems

  • Columbia University (NY)

The food system is complex and encompasses all aspects of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) Executive Education Program in Sustainable Food Systems ...

  • Posted Jan. 5, 2017
  • Academic Programs
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Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems

  • Portland State University (OR)

The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems at Portland State University offers students the opportunity to explore the complex issues and relationships between food, people, and society. The program draws ...

  • Posted Dec. 16, 2016
  • Academic Programs
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Real Food Assessment Tips

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

This document outlines helpful tips for identifying food and beverage products that meet the Real Food Standards, i.e. products that are fair, ecologically sound, humane, and/or local and ...


Real Food Standards 2.0

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

The Real Food Standards are a comprehensive guide to socially and environmentally responsible food purchasing for universities, developed in deep collaboration with advisors and stakeholders - including 100+ farmers, ranchers, fishermen ...


The Green Eating Project: web-based intervention to promote environmentally conscious eating behaviours in US university students

  • University of Rhode Island (RI)

To investigate the effectiveness of an online, interactive intervention, referred to as the Green Eating (GE) Project, to motivate university students to adopt GE behaviours.

The study was quasi-experimental and ...


Written Messages Improve Edible Food Waste Behaviors in a University Dining Facility

  • Kansas State University (KS)

Background

Sustainability and going green have become popular trends among foodservice organizations. Despite this interest, foodservice operations still produce large amounts of edible food waste and contribute significantly to waste ...


An Economic Analysis of a University Educational Cafeteria Composting Program—Bobcat Blend

  • Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)

At Texas State University, a cafeteria-composting pilot program was established in which students source-separated their organic waste at one of the food courts while the program educated students on the ...


Reduce Food Waste and Food Insecurity with Campus Food Pantries

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)
  • University of Arizona (AZ)

The University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh recognized the prevalence of food insecurity in their communities causing both to form food pantries to provide direct assistance to food ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Real Food, Real Communities, Real Impact

  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)
  • Lehigh University (PA)
  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

As anchor institutions, colleges and universities have a responsibility to the ecosystems, economies, and communities they touch. Through the Real Food Campus Commitment and Real Food Calculator, Johns Hopkins University ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Campus Gardens & Farms: Engaging the whole community

  • Portland Community College (OR)
  • University of Arizona (AZ)

Campus farms and gardens often serve as an attractive pathway for engagement, welcoming new partners and collaborations for interdisciplinary learning. During this moderated networking session we will facilitate the sharing ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Climate Healthy' and Plant Strong Menus

  • American University (DC)
  • Natural Resources Defense Council (DC)
  • Green Monday
  • Humane Society of the United States (MD)

Did you know that GHG emissions associated with food are dominated by the production phase, not the transportation phase? And that plant-based foods are so much lighter on the environment ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Strategies for Local & Sustainable Food Purchasing

  • Bon Appétit Management Company
  • Farm to Institution New England (VT)

Colleges want to purchase more local foods, yet many are struggling with how to balance the many different values that they want to support while also ensuring that they can ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Making an Impact Via Food Recovery Programs

  • Food Recovery Network (MD)
  • Fiorenza's Food for Friends (PA)

800 million people around the world suffer from hunger and 1 in 6 Americans live in food insecure households. F4 is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation of the Commonwealth ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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New Models for Campus Food Production: Orchards and Community Collaborations

  • Saint Joseph's College - IN (IN)
  • University of Baltimore (MD)
  • Civic Works Baltimore Orchard Project (MD)

This panel session will feature how campus food production programs can serve as vehicles for community collaborations, as well as a wide variety of opportunities for experiential learning and campus ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Creative Composting: a Comprehensive Approach to Food Waste Reduction

  • Green Mountain College (VT)

Though composting is a great step away from creating landfill waste, it is still very low on the EPA's food waste hierarchy. This study presents how a group of ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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The Real Food Calculator: Students leading food chain transparency and campus accountability across the nation!

  • Real Food Challenge (MA)

Sustainable.' 'Green.' 'Local.' -- How can you REALLY know what type of food system your campus is supporting amidst all this 'green noise'?!? The Real Food Calculator is a student-developed research ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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The Campus Kitchens Project: Using Food as a Tool for a More Sustainable Campus and Community.

  • The Campus Kitchens Project (DC)

Attendees will get an in depth look at The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) and will be empowered to bring the program to their school. CKP students on 50 campuses are ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Fighting Waste, Feeding People: Student Solutions for the Long Term

  • Food Recovery Network (MD)

Forty percent of all food produced in America is wasted, while one in six Americans is unsure where his or her next meal will come from. If food waste were ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Fair Trade Advocacy: Connecting Campuses & Local Communities

  • Fair Trade Colleges & Universities

This session will explore the Fair Trade movement in the U.S. Students will learn how Fair Trade campaigns on campuses collaborate with local communities to increase Fair Trade purchasing ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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US EPA - NEW Organics Recovery Program Development Toolkit

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
  • Keep America Beautiful (CT)

US EPA Region 4 will unveil the working draft of its Organics Recovery Program Development Toolkit developed specifically for colleges and universities. The toolkit is intended to guide campuses looking ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Growing Beyond the Campus Garden

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)
  • Portland State University (OR)
  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)

In 2016, many campuses have developed community gardens on our campuses as tools for co-curricular engagement, reducing food insecurity, and iconic sustainability learning tools. But, after the initial excitement of ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Cultivating Regional Partnerships on Campus: Sourcing and Food Service for a Sustainable Mid-Atlantic Food System

  • Johns Hopkins University (MD)
  • Bon Appétit Management Company
  • Common Market Philadelphia (PA)

How do colleges and universities successfully partner with sustainable producers, distributors, and food service management companies for a positive impact that goes beyond campus? Join a conversation among key players ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Fish in the Sea, Fish on the Plate - How college foodservice programs can help maintain ocean health and biodiversity

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium (CA)
  • National Aquarium (MD)

Fish and Seafood: Healthy, Sustainable and Confusing. Fish and seafood are among the healthiest and most sustainable protein choices we can make. But chosen poorly, eating fish and seafood also ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Campus Greenhouse: Growing Greens for Campus Dining Halls at George Mason University

  • George Mason University (VA)

Since its grand opening event during Earth Month of 2015, the President's Park Greenhouse (PPG) has received countless requests for tours, integration with academic courses, hands-on learning and volunteering ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

OP 7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

OP 8: Sustainable Dining

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Food & Dining Partners