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.
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UW–Madison Receipt Reduction Project
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Over a span of two years, teams of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin–Madison eliminated mandatory receipt printing at campus dining centers, restaurants, markets, and cafes. Within …
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Bagging the Disposable Plastic Bag
- Case Western Reserve University (OH)
- Bon Appétit Management Company
The Student Sustainability Council at Case Western Reserve University removed disposable plastic bags from campus dining locations and replaced them with reusable bags.
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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Brown's- A California Cafe
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
This August, Cal Dining opened brown’s- a california café. By design, over 80% of the ingredients used are sourced locally from within 250 miles of the UC Berkeley campus and …
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Learning Garden at Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
Virginia Commonwealth University's Office of Sustainability has created a new, urban, Learning Garden that produces fruits and vegetables exclusively for donation. The garden was created in response to a significant …
- Posted June 10, 2016
- Case Studies
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CPS Café – Sustainable Food Service Operation
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
The CPS Café is an eatery operated mainly by students across campus and is a unique food service business open to the public. It is a program within the College …
- Posted June 9, 2016
- Case Studies
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Green Restaurant Certification for Dining Halls and Restaurants
- Green Restaurant Association (MA)
Search over 500 restaurants to view the thousands of green steps they have implemented. Review the Green Restaurant® Education Section. Use the standards as a guidelines to help you make …
- Posted June 9, 2016
- Tools
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Development of a Novel Food Waste Collection Kiosk and Waste-to-Energy Business Model
- University of Toledo (OH)
The US generates more than 37 million metric tons of food waste each year and over 95% of it is disposed of at US landfills. This paper describes the development …
- Posted June 9, 2016
- Publications
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Love Food, Hate Waste: Analyzing Food Waste and Reduction at Rice University
- Rice University (TX)
It is known that about 30% of food produced worldwide is ultimately wasted (Gunders 2012). Rice University is not immune to this phenomenon, and past research has shown that Rice …
- Posted June 7, 2016
- Publications
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Quantifying the components of the mass and energy balance of a black soldier fly (BSF) food waste composting system
- Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
Project Description:
An academic institution represents a constrained system that generates a consistent amount of waste. Bioconversion of organic food waste with Black solider fly (Hermetia illucens;Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larave …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Publications
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It’s What’s for Dinner: Furman University’s Sustainable Dining Initiative
- Furman University (SC)
The majority of the food in the United States is produced via an industrial food production and distribution system, which is inherently unsustainable due to its widespread environmental (e.g., fossil …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainable Carolina Farm and Garden Hydroponics
- University of South Carolina (SC)
Sustainable Carolina is a student run organization within the University of South Carolina, working to better our campus by making it more sustainable. We work with students, staff, professors, and …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Case Studies
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Promotion vs. Education in Choosing "Real Food"
- University of Utah (UT)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
- Real Food Challenge (AZ)
The global agro-industrial system contributes to an abundance of human and ecological health problems from social injustices and public health issues to global warming and ecological degradation. In response to …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Publications
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Unifying Campus Efforts in Pursuit of Green Restaurant Certification at UC Irvine's East Food Court
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
UC Irvine's East Food Court became a Certified Green Restaurant on November 5, 2015 and upgraded its certification from 2-Star to 3-Star on April 22, 2016 through significant interdepartmental collaborations …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Case Studies
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Boston University Zero Waste Commencement
- Aramark (PA)
Boston University is a private research institution located in Boston, Massachusetts with approximately 33,000 undergradate and graduate students. During Commencement week, Boston University Dining Services/Aramark serves more than 40,000 patrons …
- Posted June 6, 2016
- Case Studies
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What’s Wrong with the Tap? Examining Perceptions of Tap Water and Bottled Water at Purdue University
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (MN)
- Purdue University (IN)
The environmental impacts of bottled water prompted us to explore drinking water choices at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, IN. A random sample of 2,045 Purdue University students, staff, …
- Posted June 3, 2016
- Publications
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UNT Community Garden
- University of North Texas (TX)
University of North Texas' first on-campus community garden is in the final stages of planning, with construction begining this fall, in a vacant lot next to the Legends hall, just …
- Posted June 3, 2016
- Case Studies
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Black Hills Food Hub
- Black Hills State University (SD)
Black Hills State University (BHSU) and Spearfish community partners are seeking to create a culture that supports and values local food in order to expand the reach and depth of …
- Posted June 3, 2016
- Case Studies
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Smokey's Pantry: A FISH Hospitality Pantry
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Erica Davis, a senior at the University of Tennessee, spearheaded a food recovery project called Smokey’s Pantry. This project provided groceries recovered from various sources and distributed them to families …
- Posted June 2, 2016
- Case Studies
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The Real Food Challenge at Lehigh University
- Lehigh University (PA)
The Real Food Challenge (RFC) is a national student run campaign to encourage campuses to increase the ratio of food purchased from “conventional” to “real food”. At Lehigh, the Office …
- Posted June 2, 2016
- Case Studies
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Campus greenhouse for local and sustainable tropical food production and education at Bellairs Research Institute
- McGill University (QC)
The Bellairs facility is located at Folkestone, Barbados. It hosts many students and scientists from McGill and around the world for field courses, workshops and research projects. This project's goal …
- Posted June 2, 2016
- Case Studies
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Leading by Collaboration: Institutional composting on a non-residential campus
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
JCCC's composting initiatives have changed operational practices and enriched campus culture in many ways. Those directly involved in our composting work are passionate about reducing food waste, handling it appropriately, …
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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Gaucho Certified Farmers Market
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
In the Fall of 2014, myself and a group of 5 other faculty members founded the first ever successful farmers market on the UC Santa Barbara campus.
The project was …
- Posted June 1, 2016
- Case Studies
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UIC Heritage Garden
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
The Heritage Garden at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is a hands-on learning project with an internship program where students work with faculty, staff, and community members to …
- Posted May 31, 2016
- Case Studies
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NC State University Students Leverage Partnerships To Eliminate Plastic Bags on Campus
- North Carolina State University (NC)
Over a three-year period, the NC State Stewards collaborated with the university’s Campus Enterprises division to move toward the elimination of single-use plastic bags in the most wasteful locations on …
- Posted May 31, 2016
- Case Studies
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University of Redlands Proposal for Expanded Composting
- University of Redlands (CA)
We are currently living in a time with inequity, economic instability and environmental degradation. The University of Redlands campus claims to be sustainable, however, we lack many forms of renewable …
- Posted May 23, 2016
- Case Studies
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University of Redlands Proposal for Expanded Composting
- University of Redlands (CA)
We are currently living in a time with inequity, economic instability and environmental degradation. The University of Redlands campus claims to be sustainable, however, we lack many forms of renewable …
- Posted May 23, 2016
- Publications
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Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
- Sterling College (VT) (VT)
Recognizing that building a healthy and just food system is among the most critical challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, the Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food …
- Posted May 20, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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The Unintended Consequences of Changes in Beverage Options and the Removal of Bottled Water on a University Campus
- University of Vermont (VT)
Objectives. We investigated how the removal of bottled water along with a minimum healthy beverage requirement affected the purchasing behavior, healthiness of beverage choices, and consumption of calories and added …
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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Interdisciplinary and Multilevel Approach to Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Education at North Carolina State University
- North Carolina State University (NC)
There is an increasing demand for education in organic and sustainable agriculture from undergraduates, graduate students and extension agents. In this paper, we discuss highlights and evaluations of a multilevel …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Evaluation of the Food Store Environment on and Near the Campus of 15 Postsecondary Institutions
- Kansas State University (KS)
- Michigan State University (MI)
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Central Office (NJ)
- South Dakota State University (SD)
- Syracuse University (NY)
- Tuskegee University (AL)
- University of Florida (FL)
- University of Maine (ME)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
- West Virginia University (WV)
- Purdue University (IN)
Purpose. This study evaluated the food stores on and near postsecondary campuses varying in institutional size.
Design. The design of the study is an environmental audit survey.
Setting. Fifteen U.S. …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Menu Psychology to Encourage Healthy Menu Selections at a New Jersey University
- Montclair State University (NJ)
The objective of this research was to investigate whether merchandizing strategies could encourage college students to make healthy foodservice menu selections. Two hundred sixty-six Montclair State University, New Jersey, students …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Local foods in a university setting: Price consciousness, product involvement, price/quality inference and consumer's willingness-to-pay
- University of South Carolina (SC)
The current study looks at the relationship between price consciousness, product involvement, price/quality inference, and consumer's willingness-to-pay related to local foods in a university foodservice environment. The study develops a …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainable food systems at urban public universities: A survey of 21 universities
- University of Michigan (MI)
- Wayne State College (NE)
Urban communities are challenged by the conventional food system in diverse ways. To mitigate these challenges, a growing sustainable food system (SFS) movement mobilizes existing resources—including public institutions—to resolve disparities …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Applying Anthropology to the Campus Dining System: Reflections on Working with Community Food Assessments and the Real Food Challenge
- Oregon State University (OR)
When the Oregon Food Bank began conducting Community Food Assessments in 2009, they enlisted graduate students in Oregon State University's (OSU) applied anthropology program to examine the impact of the …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Campus Sustainable Food Projects: Critique and Engagement
- Emory University (GA)
Campus sustainable food projects recently have expanded rapidly. A review of four components—purchasing goals, academic programs, direct marketing, and experiential learning—shows both intent and capacity to contribute to transformational change …
- Posted April 28, 2016
- Publications
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Celebrating Earth Day One Bite at a Time
- Indiana State University (IN)
On Earth Day at ISU, Sodexo closes one of our dining halls and has an outdoor picnic instead, where students can use their meal plans for a lunch featuring ingredients …
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Photographs
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Spring FARMal at American University
- American University (DC)
Spring FARMAL, Co-hosted by the AU Community Garden and Office of Sustainability, celebrated Earth Day with a screen on the green of "Plant This," outdoor crafts and activities, local food, …
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Photographs
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Stock Images for Waste Signs
- Babson College (MA)
Cut-out images with transparent backgrounds of various items for use in recycling, trash, and compost informational materials.
Images created by Connie Hsu and Sheen Hui for the Babson College Sustainability …
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Outreach Materials
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Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future
- World Resources Institute (DC)
Installment 11 of Creating a Sustainable Food Future shows that for people who consume high amounts of meat and dairy, shifting to diets with a greater share of plant-based foods …
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Publications
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Food Scraps Composting on College/University Campuses: A Step-by-Step Guide
- FOR Solutions, LLC (NJ)
In "Food Scraps Composting on College/University Campuses: A Step-by-Step Guide", you will learn:
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How to select the proper technology for composting on your campus.
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How to implement that technology to …
- Posted April 25, 2016
- Publications
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Food Scraps Composting Laboratory
- Kean University (NJ)
Kean University in New Jersey installed a rotary drum composter to process pre and postconsumer food waste from campus dining facilities.
- Posted April 25, 2016
- Publications
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University food gardens: a unifying place for higher education sustainability
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale (IL)
This research describes the key characteristics of campus food gardens and investigates their contribution to overall campus sustainability. An email-survey of 52 campus garden managers in North America provided quantitative …
- Posted April 25, 2016
- Publications
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Running a Campus Food Pantry: Student Government Toolkit
The Running a Campus Food Pantry toolkit explains how to create and manage a campus food pantry. As food insecurity becomes more common among college students, starting a food pantry …
- Posted April 16, 2016
- Publications
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The Merits of Fair Trade - Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
Fair Trade Colleges & Universities presents: The Merits of Fair Trade.
Fair Trade is a market-based approach to alleviating poverty in ways that improve lives, empower communities, and protect the …
- Posted April 15, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainable Table Food Issues Resources
- GRACE Communications Foundation (NY)
This online resource provides in-depth information on topics relating to sustainable and industrial agriculture and food systems. Useful as a higher education teaching tool.
- Posted April 14, 2016
- Course Materials
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The Meatrix
- GRACE Communications Foundation (NY)
The Meatrix films share the realities of factory farming. These short, animated videos are accompanied by a website that that includes supplementary interactive tools and resources, as well as tips …
- Posted April 14, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Food, Ethics and Sustainability Discussion Activity
- EcoChallenge.org (OR)
Active, personally relevant learning is at the heart of an effective education.
This activity takes participants through a process of exploring sustainability
through small group discussion and personal reflection designed …
- Posted April 11, 2016
- Course Materials
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Systematic Change Through Reciprocal Partnerships
- Connecticut College (CT)
The Office of Sustainability at Connecticut College has demonstrated its commitment to community change in its collaborative support for the New London County Food Policy Council (NLCFPC). The NLCFPC is …
- Posted April 6, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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North D Compost Pilot
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA)
After conducting a waste audit of the North Apartment Residential Complex in October of 2014, it was found that approximately 27% of the trash stream consisted of food waste and …
- Posted April 6, 2016
- Case Studies
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Compendium of Organics Recovery Programs at Colleges and Universities
- University of Louisville (KY)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The Center for Environmental Policy and Management at the University of Louisville in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 and select southeastern U.S. schools have released a …
- Posted April 6, 2016
- Publications
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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
- Percent of sustainably or ethically produced food and beverage expenditures
- Percent of plant-based food expenditures
- Sustainable food and beverage purchasing inventory
- Description of the sustainable food and beverage purchasing program
- Website URL - Sustainable food and beverage purchasing
OP 8: Sustainable Dining
- Description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project
- Description of the sustainability-themed food outlet
- Description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs
- Description of low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options
- Description of the vegan dining program
- Description of sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls
- Description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system
- Description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program
- Description of the food donation program
- Description of the food materials diversion program
- Description of the pre-consumer composting program
- Description of the post-consumer composting program
- Description of the reusable serviceware program
- Description of the compostable materials and serviceware program
- Description of the reusable container discount or incentives program
- Website URL - Sustainable dining programs
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.