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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Industrial Scale Composting at James Madison University
- James Madison University (VA)
This project aims to provide James Madison University (JMU) with a sustainable means of recycling food waste generated at the dining facilities on-campus. To this end, an aerobic composting reactor …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Local: Food Purchasing Criteria, Student Farm Audits and the Veg Yourself Pledge
- Luther College (IA)
Food purchasers have ever more considerations to keep in mind when making buying decisions. Which criteria are the most important? At some point it becomes important to define our goals …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Veggies in Central Campus: Edible Landscaping at Luther College
- Luther College (IA)
Discover how a campus with high aesthetic standards can incorporate vegetable production into the landscape of central campus. Edible landscaping can take many forms including raised beds near residence halls, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Seafood Sustainablility on Campus: Making it a Reality
- Marine Stewardship Council (WA)
The sustainability of the world's seafood supply has become an issue of heightened public awareness, and for good reason. Reports of depleted fish stocks dominate the media. Decades of overfishing …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Partnerships in Food Waste Reduction at Michigan State University- Academics and Operations
- Michigan State University (MI)
At Michigan State University, Being Green is what we do. The total campus population includes over 45,000 students, with approximately 17,000 living on campus with the Division of Residential and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The importance of food waste recycling on campus
- North American Trading House, LLC (NY)
Greening campuses through energy saving, implementing water efficiency and recycling is having a positive impact on our environment. When greening a campus there is one area that is regularly overlooked …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Eating our way to Carbon Neutral
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
At Northern Arizona University, Campus Dinning and the Office of Sustainability are teaming up with students, faculty, and staff to create a culture of food sustainability engrained into our curriculum …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Plant to Plate: A model for student-run urban gardens
- Plant To Plate
Plant to Plate was born during the Fall of 2009, when two undergraduate students recognized a need for a hands-on means to educate students on local food systems and sustainability. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing and Sustaining Edible Urban Landscapes
- Randolph College (VA)
Edible landscaping integrates species that produce edible roots, stems, flowers, leaves, fruits, or vegetables into human-made landscapes. Reintroducing edible cultivars into urban and suburban landscapes represents a strategy for promoting …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Soil Analysis for Sustainable Edible Urban Landscaping
- Randolph College (VA)
"Sustainability" is a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society and its members are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Honey Bees: Pollinators as a Case Study in Sustainability-An Undergraduate Course
- Southern Connecticut State University (CT)
Over 70% of the worlds flowering plants require a living organism for pollination. Many of these plants include the fruits, vegetables and grains humans consume, as well as feed for …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Campus Scale Biodiesel Production
- Springboard Biodiesel (CA)
As the leading manufacturer of small scale biodiesel processors in a growing industry, Springboard Biodiesel has helped to install more than 6 mm gallons of annual biodiesel production capacity spread …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Leasing Land to Farmers to Support Sustainability
- St. Paul's School (NH)
For land-rich institutions, leasing parcels of land to local farmers can support all facets of sustainability. Small farms gain acreage, enhancing the local food system; dining halls get direct access …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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EPA Expands its Sustainable Food Management Initiatives with Higher Education Institutions
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency through its national sustainable food management initiative, is expanding their outreach and support programs to colleges and universities throughout the country. The Agency is …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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From Presidents' Climate Commitment to the Real Food Challenge: Bringing Sustainable Food to Your Campus
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
Struggling to develop a sustainable food procurement policy at your school? Looking to engage students in sustainability measures on campus?
By uniting students across the country, the Real Food Challenge …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Students Recognizing Excellence in Campus Food Service: the Real Food Calculator and Awards
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
College food gets a bad rap. But there's also a lot to celebrate.
The Real Food Awards honor the people who produce, prepare, organize around, and coordinate campus food. The …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Partnerships for Food Systems Change
- University of Florida (FL)
This presentation would include several examples of what we have accomplished at UF regarding food systems change at various scales and with varoious partners, and engage the audience in a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating Sustainable Urban Infrastructure One Seed at a Time
- University of Louisville (KY)
Rationale: Many students and universities are interested in the integration of sustainable systems but don't have a means to empower students, faculty and the wider community to take an active …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The 'University Farmers' Market': Promoting Holistic Sustainability Through Community Partnerships at the University of Northern BC
- University of Northern British Columbia (BC)
As one of the largest energy-consuming and emissions-producing sectors in the world, industrial food production is a significant contributor to climate change and other forms of environmental degradation (e.g., topsoil …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Successful Composting-University of Tennessee-A Collaborative Compost Partnership-ARAMARK Volunteer Dining
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
The food service industry produces large amounts of food during daily production. Although food service businesses strive to create minimal amounts of waste, items such as lemon peels, apple cores, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Integrating Food System Expertise into the Nutrition Professional's Curriculum
- University of Vermont (VT)
The global volatility of food supply and prices; risky dependence on large scale monoculture of staple grains; inequitable food distribution and access with related social justice issues; and difficulty tracing …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Moving Beyond Carbon: A Nitrogen Footprint Model for the University of Virginia
- University of Virginia (VA)
The human creation of reactive nitrogen by food and energy production has profound beneficial and detrimental impacts on people and the environment. Agricultural uses, including both food production and consumption, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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EcoMug™ History and Continued Program Evaluation
- Western Michigan University (MI)
The EcoMug™ program began in 2009. It is, as far as we know, an unprecedented waste reduction initiative. During the first few weeks of school, each incoming student is given …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Campus Beet: A Student-Led Sustainable Café Initiative
- Western Michigan University (MI)
Riding a surge of support for fresh, delicious, sustainable food on campus, The Campus Beet is an example of true cross-campus collaboration. Starting as the vision of a single student, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Taste Education: Sustainability through the Senses
- Williams College (MA)
Food sustainability is only possible with knowledge: the knowledge of those who bring food to the table and the knowledge of those who eat it and how. Understanding more about …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Installing an Organic Garden on Campus
- LaGrange College (GA)
Beginning an organic garden on a college campus poses more challenges than one initially assumes, as the community of LaGrange College quickly learned; issues that arose included administration buy-in, construction, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sharing a Passion and Connecting Students to Sustainability Experiences
- Saint Louis University (MO)
The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics exemplifies what it takes to launch a sustainability program by tapping into a passion. Its undergraduate dietetics program was added to the existing dietetic …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Aligning U.Va. Dining's Nutrition and Sustainability Efforts
- University of Virginia (VA)
Since the advent of U.Va. Dining Service's Green Dining Campaign in 2006, food, environment, and health have all been linked to ongoing conservation efforts. The group's formal motto is "Sustainable …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing and Studying an Innovative University Food Waste Reduction Program
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
This session will describe the processes of planning, implementing, and studying an innovative food waste reduction program at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). With the challenges of limited space and the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Forgotten Art: Art Toxins and Safety
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Dining plays a central role in campus life, as has been reflected in a plethora of recent dining-related initiatives—from trayless cafeterias to composting to community gardens on campus. A perennial …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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NACUFS Sustainability Guide - Sustainable Solutions in Collegiate Foodservice Operations
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
- Ricca Newmark Design
- Envision Strategies (CO)
On most campuses, Dining Services is the team relied upon to just get it done - somehow, some way... This often holds true for moving forward with green initiatives too …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Organic Gardens On the Rise
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Fort Lewis College (CO)
- Saint Michael's College (VT)
Program organizers from several different colleges plan to lead an interactive discussion on different approaches to community and organic gardening on college campuses. Campus gardens are known for being one …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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CHEFS: Advancing the Carbon Footprinting of Food in North America
- New York University (NY)
- Aramark (PA)
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)
Dining plays a central role in campus life, as has been reflected in a plethora of recent dining-related initiatives—from trayless cafeterias to composting to community gardens on campus. A perennial …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Measuring Sustainable Dining with the Real Food Challenge Calculator
- Eastern Washington University (WA)
- Real Food Challenge (AZ)
There's no question that determining the sustainability of a college dining hall-and other foodservice operations-is difficult. Between dealing with confusing and often competing claims about food sustainability to actually quantifying …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Lunch Ladies and LEED: Dining Facilities in Sustainable Design - A Case Study of Fort Lewis College's Student Union Center
- Fort Lewis College (CO)
- Ricca Newmark Design
Dining facilities demand excessive energy, are water intensive and produce much waste, complicating design, construction and operational program requirements when creating a sustainable building. At Fort Lewis College in Durango, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Local Organic on Campus: Commitment, Education, Outreach
- Western Colorado University (CO)
The Sustainability Coalition, a student group at Western State College of Colorado (WSC), is committed to promoting local organic agriculture both on campus and in the greater community of Gunnison, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Feeding Innovation in Sustainability: Ithaca's Comprehensive Dining Energy Plan
- Ithaca College (NY)
Sodexo's Facility Management team approached Ithaca College with a proposal to conduct a comprehensive energy audit of all food service facilities on campus (3 board dining halls, 1 food court, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Catalyzing Just and Sustainable Food Systems in Complex Institutions
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
In this interactive session we will describe how our program, UBC SEEDS, acts as a catalyst to move UBC towards a just and sustainable food system. This community-based action-research project, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Solar High Tunnels: Food Production and Renewable Energy
- Green Mountain College (VT)
Over the last decade, growers in the Northeast have been utilizing high tunnel structures, or field greenhouses, in their food production systems. These structures allow growers to extend the fall …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Composting on Campus: Opportunities for Leadership for Sustainability
- Kean University (NJ)
According to a feature story in The Chronicle of Higher Education, "with great fanfare, universities are trumpeting their efforts to make society more equitable and environmentally healthy." An important question …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Getting Your Head into a Beehive
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
"Getting Your Head into a Beehive: Stories About Teaching Sustainable Beekeeping at Northern Arizona University"
In this report from the field, I'll describe the challenges involved in teaching three-day summer …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Raised Organic Produce: Creation of garden on Auraria campus
- University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus (CO)
Students, faculty, and staff of Auraria campus have been working for over a year to create 'Campus Raised Organic Produce' (CROP). Auraria is home of three institutions, The University of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Student Agriculture at Whitman - A New Approach to Student Initiatives
- Whitman College (WA)
A group of Whitman students with a lofty goal, a student-run organic farm to provide produce for campus dining halls, developed a novel approach to generate student and faculty support, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Systems Carbon Footprint Analyzed by Students and University Stakeholders
- Elon University (NC)
The University's Sustainability Master Plan has targeted carbon neutrality across the institution by 2037. To help meet this goal, students in the Environmental Studies Senior capstone course worked with the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Gardening with seniors: Benefits across socioeconomic status
- Furman University (SC)
Recently, researchers have become interested in the psychological benefits of engaging in nature-based activities. Thus far, research has shown that gardening can increase well-being and sense of community (Armstrong, 2000) …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Organic Recycling - It's Here!
- NatureWorks (GA)
Noting the growing success of food waste diversion and composting, NatureWorks LLC(www.natureworksllc.com) and one of its key partners (R3/Bunzl Distribution) will showcase commercial success of organic recycling (or composting) in …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Rescue
- Pacific University (OR)
Food Rescue is a student-initiated food donation program that works to diminish food waste and redistribute leftovers from Pacific University campus events and dining hall meals to local community shelters …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Promoting Sustainable Communities: The Randolph College Permaculture Program
- Randolph College (VA)
Randolph College has a thriving permaculture and organic garden program, well-integrated into the college curriculum and offering semester and summer internships. The garden includes an orchard of heirloom fruit and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing a Local Food System at Southern Illinois University
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale (IL)
If universities are to seriously seek strong overall campus sustainability, the efficiency and environmental impacts of individual campus sectors, such as resident dining, must be analyzed. At Southern Illinois University, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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UNT Dining Services: Going Green One Plate at a Time
- University of North Texas (TX)
At UNT Dining Services we understand that sustainability is a delicate balance between improving lifestyle choices and a feeling of well-being, and preserving natural resources on which we and future …
- 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.