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
New Resources
Discovery and Development of a Long Range Compost Plan to Support Zero Waste
- Appalachian State University (NC)
Appalachian State University began an in-house composting program on campus in 1999, and built a state-of-the-art aerated facility to expand composting opportunities, which opened in October 2011. At AASHE 2014 ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Aramark Supporting Arizona State University's Commitment to Zero Waste through Operations and Educational Outreach
- Aramark (PA)
Monitoring the waste stream by minimizing our environmental footprint by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. Supporting closed loop waste management processes and committing to innovative practices to reach an absolute ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Students in Food Waste Reduction - Aramark, UNC-Chapel Hill & Feeding The 5,000
- Aramark (PA)
A review & discussion of the genesis, planning & execution of an innovative food waste reduction event conducted by Aramark at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. In partnership with ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing With Faith: Community Gardening in a Jesuit Context
- Gonzaga University (WA)
Under the umbrella of our Jesuit university's mission, which encourages a faith that does justice and service, we have engaged in new sustainability initiatives. One of these is the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building School-to-Farm Traffic: Small-farm Infrastructure as Sustainable Technology Design
- Lafayette College (PA)
Farm-to-school projects have flourished in recent years. By aggregating and delivering food from local sources to regional institutions (like schools), they help rebuild the missing middle between producers and consumers ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Waste Reduction Strategies and Building Community Through Food Donations
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
NAU Campus Dining uses several strategies to reduce food waste; tracking with LeanPath, composting, staff training and cooking techniques. The University received an Award of Recognition from the EPA's ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Food Security in Higher Education Institutions
- Oregon State University (OR)
Food insecurity is the incapacity to access a variety of different and preferred foods due to a lack of resources, according to the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. The Growing ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bee Campus USA as a Model for Pollinator-Friendly Campuses
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
After our university's hometown of Ashland, Oregon and the neighboring city Talent became members of Bee City USA, a designation given through the Bee City USA non-profit based in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Recovery, Food Security, & Organics Recycling: Solutions and Best Practices for Environmental and Financial Sustainability
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Food recovery, dining waste reduction, and organics recycling (composting or anaerobic digestion) projects often go hand in hand at institutions of higher education, and all of these efforts require widespread ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Caloric Output of Global Agriculture 1961-2012
- University of Arkansas (AR)
It is conventionally suggested that world food production must double to feed world population by mid-century. To evaluate this claim, an inventory of global agricultural production from 1961 to 2012 ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Fast Food Waste Streams and Zero Waste Goals: Opportunities at the Interface of Town and Gown
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Commercial districts near campuses often cater to students, offering fast and inexpensive food. Single use food service items, including containers, napkins, straws, yogurt and boba cups, bags and boxes, clog ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Northern Roots: Growing Food in the Western Lake Superior Region: A Participatory, Public Ethnography in Film Form
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
Planting and cultivation instructions: 1) Combined engaged students, hard-working farmers, a supportive university, dedicated nonprofit leaders and the fertile potential of participatory media. 2) Seed the ground with community coordination ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Seed Diversity and Locality: Using seed libraries to explore the importance of regional crop diversity in the past and future
- University of South Dakota (SD)
Since the Green Revolution, modern agriculture has shifted from a local to a more global industry. In order to provide food for the growing population, monocultures, or large swaths of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing a Sustainable Food Recycling/Repurposing Program on a Large Campus in the Southeast (SEC)
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
At most universities food service operations abide by rules relating to shelf life. At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), the Food Recovery Network, and the Dining Service Company, Aramark ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Virginia Commonwealth University High-Output Learning Garden: Coordinating Resources and Partnerships to Relieve Food Insecurity
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
Food deserts are areas with limited access to healthy food options and are a major contributor to health issues and inequality in the United States. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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NEXUS: Demonstration site for biomass greenhouse-heating systems to extend growing seasons for resource-limited farmers.
- Appalachian State University (NC)
Appalachian farmers struggle to maintain profitability with limited acreage, low profit margins, small markets and short growing seasons. To extend growing seasons, farmers dedicate some of their acreage to greenhouse ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond the Dining Hall: furthering sustainability initiatives in dining services by involving student groups and classes
- Denison University (OH)
There are wonderful things happening with sustainability in the world of food and campus dining, but too often these initiatives stay within operations, never leaving the dining halls or involving ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Local Purchasing 101: we'll debunk the price myth, talk through other obstacles to local purchasing and how to overcome them
- Denison University (OH)
With every college trying to buy more and more local food these days, many are struggling with how to do this but still meet their budget. I'll explain how ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Farm to Campus Table: Highlighting Local Foods and Student Work in a Campus Harvest Lunch
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
Beginning in 2013 and continuing in 2014, several dozen students, faculty, staff, and volunteers worked together to source a campus farm lunch at Johnson County Community College, a large, suburban ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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No Impact Meal: A Guide to an Interactive Cooking Experience of Food Sustainability and Social Justice
- Loyola University Chicago (IL)
The case study focuses on the journey of the No Impact Meal from the narrative, 'No Impact Man,' to a First-Year Convocation Picnic, and ultimately an intimate, interactive food experience ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Rice University's Farmer's Market: a case study of a Farmer's Market at a private University
- Rice University (TX)
The Rice Farmer's Market was established in 2010 with the primary goal of making locally grown food available to as many consumers as possible, providing a growing marketplace for ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The UC Global Food Initiative; Leveraging University Research and Best Practices to Achieve Ambitious Global Goals
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
In July 2014, UC President Janet Napolitano challenged the University of California system to leverage the innovative research and best practices that we have developed through our operations and curriculum ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Real Food Campus Commitment; Student and Community Partnership at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
The Real Food Campus Commitment is a pledge for colleges and universities stating that they will buy at least 20% Real Food by 2020. Signing onto the commitment can be ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Cornercopia Student Organic Farm at The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Cornercopia is an organic farm that provides students hands-on whole farm learning opportunities, food for the local community and a place for community building, multi-disciplinary education, research and outreach. Started ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student Farms and Gardens Meet-up
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Come meet Students, Staff and Faculty Members who work with Student Farms and Gardens at their Universities. We will exchange ideas about what's working, what's not and brain ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Custom Brewery Tour with Taste Twin Cities
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Join us for a fascinating behind the scenes insight into Minneapolis's local beers and what local breweries looks, sound and smells like. This tour is great for people visiting ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Urban Farming and Sustainable Agriculture Tour
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Participants will board a mini coach and names will be checked off tour registrant list before departing MCC. Enjoy an afternoon of eating, learning, and touring the fields at six ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Waste and Nutrition: Food Waste Auditing Combined with Vermicomposting for Applied Nutrition and Sustainability Education.
- University of Utah (UT)
Many Nutrition and Dietetic graduate students end up working in field such as Nutrition Therapy and Medical Nutrition Therapy where they are in hospital and/or care settings, working as ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Seed of a Great Idea: Wells College Seed Exchange Program
- Wells College (NY)
The Wells College Center for Sustainability and the Environment fielded an intriguing inquiry from a campus librarian who wondered what the Center thought of the idea for the college Library ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Meeting Climate Action Plan goals through the introduction of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) at West Chester University
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)
West Chester University's President signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in October, 2010 and a Climate Action Plan (CAP) was written. One objective of CAP was ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Gibbs Farm: A Permaculture Learning Lab
- Western Michigan University (MI)
The Gibbs Farm is a 2-acre historic homestead currently undergoing a landscape reimagining to create an engaging environment for students, staff, and the greater community. Students with diverse backgrounds and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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On-Campus Food Rescue: A Campus Kitchen Project at IUPUI
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) (IN)
The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) is a national leader in community engagement and service through student-led initiatives to decrease waste in campus cafeterias. This is accomplished through food rescue and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Tracking Sustainable Food Purchasing: Challenges and Opportunities
- Emory University (GA)
- Sodexo USA (MD)
- ENGIE (TX)
In 2007, Emory University set an aggressive goal to procure 75% of food products from locally or sustainability grown sources by 2015. As most institutions have found, tracking sustainable food ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Make a Difference that Lasts: End Campus Food Waste & Community Hunger
- Food Recovery Network (MD)
Looking for a way to make a long-term, big-picture impact on campus and in your community? Thinking ahead to graduation and worrying that the work you’re putting into sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Tips on Improving Student Engagement from Food Recovery Network
- Food Recovery Network (MD)
Food Recovery Network (FRN) unites students at colleges and universities to fight food waste and hunger by recovering surplus food from their campuses that would otherwise go to waste and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Skills for Ecological Engagement
- Lane Community College (OR)
The Learning Garden at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon serves as a living laboratory for students, staff, and the greater community in the fields of sustainable agriculture, experiential education ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Across the Nutrition & Food Science Curriculum
- Georgia Southern University (GA)
In 2012, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics revised accreditation standards to require that concepts of sustainability be taught in all nutrition and dietetic education programs. However ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Scaling Up Local Food Sourcing: a Multi-Campus Farm to College Pilot
- University at Albany (NY)
- State University of New York at Oneonta (NY)
- State University of New York at Oswego (NY)
Starting with the commitments from 12 State University of New York (SUNY) campuses to purchase tomato sauce ahead of the growing season, “SUNY Commits to Agriculture” launched a pilot to ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Standardizing Sustainability for Dining Services
- Green Seal (DC)
Dining Services have been included in STARS from the beginning, with a heavy focus on food in the current version 2.0. Life-cycle research conducted by Green Seal has determined ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Make a difference with a commitment to certified sustainable seafood
- Marine Stewardship Council (WA)
Higher Education is playing an increasingly important role in fostering sustainable practices, including food service and seafood. With increasing pressure on global fisheries to feed a growing population, the need ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Working Together To Fight Hunger and Waste
- Bon Appétit Management Company
- Food Recovery Network (MD)
Every day students are asking more of the university around them and it can be difficult for dining service providers to know how to address requests. Whether it be for ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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University Dining Services: Leaders in Sustainability
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
Using the University of Massachusetts as a case study, this presentation: • Discusses the unique and important role campus foodservice providers have in creating healthy and resilient regional food systems • Provides ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Systems Education: New Approaches for a Global Scope
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
The University of Minnesota-- Twin Cities is home to several innovative courses in food systems. Despite differences in mode and focus of instruction, a key commonality among these courses is ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sowing Seeds: An academic-corporate collaboration to bring ‘real food’ to campus.
- Gonzaga University (WA)
Sowing Seeds: An academic-corporate collaboration to bring ‘real food’ to campus. Integrating sustainability into the academic curriculum can often present challenges to classroom instructors immersed in a traditional academic setting ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Systems Northwest: A collaborative traveling summer course
- University of Puget Sound (WA)
- Willamette University (OR)
Around the country, scholars are beginning to recognize the centrality of food and agriculture in questions of sustainability, social justice, economic development, and international affairs (Poppendleck, 2000; Hinrichs 2003; Werkerle ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Using campus farms to engage students in experiential learning
- Linfield College (OR)
- Linn-Benton Community College (OR)
- Pacific University (OR)
- Portland State University (OR)
- Willamette University (OR)
Growing food on college campuses is deeply rooted in many institutions of higher learning. There are many reasons for engaging in food production at these institutions and these reasons change ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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University Research in Support of Local Sustainable Food Systems
- Portland State University (OR)
In this poster presentation, faculty researchers from Portland State University will share examples of meaningful partnerships with the local community and demonstrate the reciprocal relationship between research and practice. During ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Composting in the Real World
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Since 2007, incremental successes have taken our campus food composting weights from 0 to 419 tons, increasing every year! The Pittsburgh region food composting initiative started with stakeholder food audits ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Local APPetite: Partnering with Rural Farms to Grow Our Economy
- Appalachian State University (NC)
During the fall of 2013, Appalachian State University Food Services launched Local Appetite, a partnership that brought together farmers, community organizations and the university to grow our economy. Being self-operated ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Evolution of Zero Waste in a Retail Food Court
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Aramark (PA)
The objective of UC Irvine’s Zero Waste Food Court Pilot Program is to expand practices from campus residential dining locations to Phoenix Food Court as a model for additional ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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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.