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
Choose to Reuse
- Boston University (MA)
- ARAMARK at Boston University
Boston University’s Choose to Reuse program, offered at seven retail dining concepts in the George Sherman Union, provides students staff, and faculty the choice between ordering their meal on ...
- Posted May 23, 2023
- Case Studies
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Cooking with Purpose – Empowering Food-insecure College Students to “Take Back Cooking” for Climate Mitigation, Nutrition and Budget Benefits!
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- AASHE (PA)
Food pantries on college campuses have a wide variety of food choices with a wide variety of cost, nutritional, and greenhouse gas impacts. In an effort to encourage food-insecure students ...
- Posted May 18, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Achieving zero-waste targets: residential & retail takeout dining
- USEFULL (MA)
This is a conversation to discuss the challenges and opportunities with takeout food packaging on campus.
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Campus-Community Partnerships: Building Food Sovereignty and Fostering Collaboration
- Lafayette College (PA)
This session will explore how Lafayette College has succeeded and failed at building campus-community partnerships to address food sovereignty with an opportunity for participants to explore their own campus-community engagement ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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An Educational Program on Organic Waste Composting and Compost End Use at Kean University
- Kean University (NJ)
An institutional-wide educational and behavior change campaign was initiated in 2021 at Kean University (KU) to promote organic waste recycling and composting on campus. The program focused on three areas ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Building Social Sustainability in Food Procurement
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Nearly two and half years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, academic institutions continue to grapple with disrupted supply chains and their embedded inequities, which further exacerbated the challenging ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Engaging Students and Curricula to Create a More Sustainable and Equitable University Food System
- Naropa University (CO)
Join us for a step-by-step explanation of a curriculum-based, community development approach to creating a more sovereign, secure and sustainable food system at Naropa University. Discover how staff and faculty ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Interdisciplinary Learning Community: Sustainability and Agriculture
- County College of Morris (NJ)
An interdisciplinary approach to environmental topics, such as climate change and sustainability, helps to bridge the gap between identifying an environmental concern and implementing a societal resolution. This presentation aims ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
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High Impact Practices at Bridgewater State University’s Permaculture Garden and Local Farms
- Bridgewater State University (MA)
In this presentation, faculty from the Bridgewater State University Sustainability Program share their experiences of using the permaculture garden as a tool for their teaching, research, and scholarship. The goal ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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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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Pigface Pancakes – Towards an Edible Campus at University of Tasmania
- University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania has for many years promoted community gardening and the growing of native food plants on its campuses throughout the Australian island state of Tasmania. A recent ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Playbooks for Progress: High-Impact Strategies for Climate-Smart Dining
- Stanford University (CA)
In this session, you’ll gain actionable solutions for advancing plant-forward menus through food choice architecture and preventing food waste—the top two food-related climate solutions at our disposal as ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Fair Trade and Climate Justice: How People and Planet Benefit From Fair Trade
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
Fair Trade Campaigns is a powerful grassroots movement mobilizing thousands of conscious consumers and fair trade advocates on campuses and in communities across the U.S. Our Fair Trade Colleges ...
- 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
- Conference Presentations
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Composting: Community Based Solutions to Food Waste & Climate Challenges
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Food loss and food waste are global challenges; an estimated 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. Food waste is directly related to food insecurity, poverty, and the ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Greek Sustainability: Leveraging Change, Empowering Leaders
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
Students have been organizing chapter houses to host a "Green Chair" or also popularly known as "Green Greek Reps". We will share our resources, strategy, and recent academic year's ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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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
- Conference Presentations
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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 ...
- Posted May 16, 2023
- Case Studies
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Tiffany Jurge plans Soup and Substance collaboration with SCITC
- Central Michigan University (MI)
- Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (MI)
Central Michigan University (CMU) presents Soup and Substance events through the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OIDEI) for students, faculty, staff and community members. Soup and Substance events ...
- Posted May 15, 2023
- Case Studies
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Soup and Substance: Anishinaabek Food Sovereignty
- Central Michigan University (MI)
- Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (MI)
Central Michigan University (CMU) presents Soup and Substance events through the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OIDEI) for students, faculty, staff and community members. Soup and Substance events ...
- Posted May 15, 2023
- Case Studies
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Meghan VanDamme leads composting initiative at CMU
- Central Michigan University (MI)
Meghan VanDamme and Central Sustainability collaborated with Facilities Management and CMU Residence Life to erect a compost drop-off at Northwest Apartments. The drop-off promotes sustainability by offering an opportunity for ...
- Posted May 15, 2023
- Case Studies
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Diverting Food Waste and Educating the Campus Community with Solar Powered Compost Kiosks at Illinois State University
- Illinois State University (IL)
The Illinois State University Compost Kiosks provide a model for other institutions in diverting food waste and reducing single-use plastic while educating and engaging the campus community in the act ...
- Posted May 15, 2023
- Case Studies
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Colaboration with Community garden in San Juan District
- EARTH University
With the support of a resident of the San Juan District in the Union of Cartago, Costa Rica. We have come together to develop a community garden. With the contribution ...
- Posted April 24, 2023
- Photographs
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Waste Diversion at Creighton Softball Game
- Creighton University (NE)
Hattie Ames and Gabby Otero are helping Creighton fans divert their waste from the landfill.
- Posted April 21, 2023
- Photographs
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Fullerton Arboretum Fights Food Insecurity While Helping the Environment
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre botanical garden located at Cal State Fullerton, is making a difference in the campus and environment…and it all starts with fruit.
The Arboretum grows an ...
- Posted April 13, 2023
- Photographs
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Food Sustainability and Security
- University of South Florida (Tampa) (FL)
- University of South Florida (FL)
Concerns about population growth, human health, and environmental quality have made food sustainability and security a top priority worldwide. The goal of this program is to provide students with a ...
- Posted Feb. 23, 2023
- Academic Programs
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Directory of Programs that Save Leftover Food After Events
- University of California, Merced (CA)
There has been increasing interest in programs which address leftover food at events. As the coordinator of one such program, No Food Left Behind, I receive regular inquiries from other ...
- Posted Feb. 6, 2023
- Tools
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Imagining the Future of Campus Food Service and Measuring Success
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Texas Woman's University (TX)
- AASHE (PA)
Food does not loom large enough in university sustainability metrics given its outsized role in achieving the SDGs. With increasing recognition that transforming food systems is critical for climate resiliency ...
- Posted Feb. 2, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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UMass Dining Carbon Rating System
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
Announced on Earth Day, 2022, and in partnership with My Emissions, UMass Dining, the nation's award winnning and largest higher education internally operated dining program, has launched an A-E ...
- Posted Jan. 10, 2023
- Case Studies
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Food Justice Fellowships - Rooted in Community
- Saint Mary's College of California (CA)
Food insecurity is defined as the state of being without reliable access to sufficient affordable and nutritious food. Food insecurity in the San Francisco Bay Area (and our state, country ...
- Posted Sept. 20, 2022
- Case Studies
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UMass Lowell Rooftop Urban Agriculture
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
Rooftop Urban Agriculture - The Office of Sustainability at University of Massachusetts Lowell has developed an innovative urban agriculture program in partnership with Mill City Grows, a local food justice non-profit ...
- Posted Aug. 3, 2022
- Photographs
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USC recognized as a top performer in sustainable food and dining
- University of Southern California (CA)
USC is among the Top Performers under the Food & Dining impact area in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index.
- Posted Aug. 3, 2022
- Photographs
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UMN Morris works with partners to launch county-wide composting program
- University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)
UMN Morris helped launch the new countywide composing program. UMN Morris hit a milestone of diverting 1 million pounds of organic material from the landfill with its onsite cold-weather system ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Teaching Kitchen Photo
- Stanford University (CA)
Stanford students learn how to create delicious, nutritious, and environmentally conscious dishes in the R&DE Teaching Kitchen at Stanford. The teaching kitchen provides cooking classes to students, staff, and faculty ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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NSO Stanford Dining Students
- Stanford University (CA)
Students enjoy fresh fruit and fresh air at New Student Orientation
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Malaysian Tofu Laksa
- Stanford University (CA)
Malaysian Tofu Laksa is one of R&DE Stanford Dining’s student favorites
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Jeong Kwan and her assistant Yoon Hee Kim at the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm
- Stanford University (CA)
Jeong Kwan–a world-renowned chef and Buddhist nun–teaches students, faculty, and staff about plant-forward Korean Buddhist temple cuisine at the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm, at an event ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Stanford students at R&DE Stanford Dining’s Neighborhood BBQ
- Stanford University (CA)
Students enjoy their meals outside Crothers Hall on Stanford’s campus during one of Stanford Dining’s Neighborhood BBQs, fostering community and belonging as part of the campuswide ResX initiative.
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Class at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm
- Stanford University (CA)
Class at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
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Sustainable Food & Dining at Bennington College
- Bennington College (VT)
Interior and exterior views of Bennington College's Commons Dining Hall, which serves locally sourced and sustainably produced food. Also featured is the on-campus Purple Carrot Farm, which is student-led ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Cascadia Cornucopia Food Forest
- Cascadia College (WA)
The main sign and welcome space for the campus food forest. The Cascadia Cornucopia Food Forest is an open foraging and growing spot for the campus community to learn about ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Sustainable Catering@Penn
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
Sustainable Catering@Penn - A newly designed webpage at University of Pennsylvania provides search functionality for information about Penn’s Preferred Contract Caterers. Through Catering@Penn, users can now search for ...
- Posted Aug. 1, 2022
- Photographs
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Sustainable Food and Farming (Online Certificate)
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
The 15-credit Certificate in Sustainable Food and Farming is designed for adults looking to make a career change, returning Veterans, or those pursuing a lifelong interest related to food, gardening ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Civic Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) Minor
- Virginia Tech (VA)
The Civic Agriculture and Food Systems Pathways minor embodies a commitment to developing and strengthening an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable agriculture and food systems through building community capacity, using ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable Food and Farming BS
- West Virginia University (WV)
Sustainable Food and Farming is the study of relationships among organisms and habitats in agricultural ecosystems. Climate and soil properties, activities of other organisms, and management practices affect the growth ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Plant Pathology MS
- West Virginia University (WV)
The Plant Pathology graduate program is ideal for students who desire a career in plant health, food security or the environment. Graduates will be prepared to be leaders and productive ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Crop Management Minor
- Cornell University (NY)
The minor enables students with majors in fields such as applied economics and management, communication, ESS, IARD and sociology to gain technical and scientific knowledge for careers in areas such ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable Food Production Certificate
- Missouri State University (MO)
This certificate provides information to grow plant-based produce for human consumption using sustainable cropping system practices. Students who complete this certificate will obtain fundamental knowledge of successful plant production systems ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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MS in Environmental Health Science Food Safety Management Track
- University of Sharjah
The Department of Environmental Health Science has launched its graduate program, Master of Science in Environmental Health, in Fall 2020-2021 after receiving its initial accreditation from UAE Ministry of Education ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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Master of Agriculture and Environment
- University of Sydney (NSW)
The Master of Agriculture and Environment trains students to solve the big challenges in the world: food security, climate change, and management of carbon, water and the environment. With lots ...
- Posted June 10, 2022
- Academic Programs
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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. Additional content and advanced benchmarking tools will be added to this tab over time.
Benchmarking Data
The following links connect to specific Content Displays on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
- Percentage of dining services food and beverage expenditures on products that are third party verified or both local and community-based
- Percentage of total dining service food expenditures on conventional animal products
Programs and Initiatives
The following links connect to specific Content Displays on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
- Sustainable food and beverage purchasing programs
- Sustainable food and beverage inventories
- Methodologies used to track/inventory sustainable food and beverage purchases
- Vegan dining programs
- Initiatives to reduce food waste
- Tracking and reducing pre-consumer food waste
- Tracking and reducing post-consumer food waste
- Donating food to feed people
- Pre-consumer food waste composting
- Post-consumer food waste composting
- Using reusable service ware for "dine in" meals
- Providing reusable and/or third party certified compostable containers and service ware for "to go" meals
- Discounts for customers who use reusable containers
Scores
The following link connects to the Score Display on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).