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

Networking for Leadership: Building an Undergraduate Sustainable Food Coalition

  • Emory University (GA)

In the spring of 2013, a group of undergraduates at our university formed a pilot program designed to impart to students leadership and organizational skills; to network student activists with ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Summer Internships for a Sustainable Food System

  • Linfield College (OR)

Today, the importance of sustainably addressing our food system is vital. There is a pressing societal need for citizens educated in actively creating and participating with food systems based in ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sprouting (Literally!) Engagement in Sustainability in the Undergraduate Curriculum: the “Heritage Garden Project” in Beginning German at Luther College

  • Luther College (IA)

The students know that Diane is coming to tell a special story on cold February morning. To their surprise, as she appears, however, she opens a little package and empties ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Dining Hall as a Classroom: A Unique Model for a Life-Cycle Analysis Course

  • Northwestern University (IL)

Though students, faculty, and the dining service have all shown dedication to sustainable initiatives, there has been little academic research on the sustainability of our campus dining service. This year ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Neigborhood Resilience, Using Waste to Build Justice Locally and Internationally

  • Trevecca Nazarene University (TN)

Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) in Manila, Philippines is a ‘sister school’ to Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) in Nashville, TN. Both schools are located in highly stressed urban environments ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Veggies For All: Campus Food Bank Farm

  • Unity Environmental University (ME)

Since 2011, our small college has been the home base for Veggies For All (VFA) – a community-scale agriculture project that works to relieve hunger by growing vegetables for those in ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Island Food Security through a Campus Community Garden

  • University of Hawaii Maui College (HI)

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) at UH Maui College began an endeavor to build a campus community garden in 2010. Almost three years later, and after many obstacles ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Love Food Hate Waste: A Case Study on Engaging Students and equiping them with life long learning skills

  • Western Sydney University (NSW)

The global food system is under pressure from exploding population growth and food waste is a major issue throughout the world. We throw away millions of tonnes of food and ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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An In-depth Analysis of Waste Trends and Reuse Potential in Dining Facilities

  • West Virginia University (WV)

In the United States, less than three percent of the 34 million tons of food waste generated was recovered or recycled in 2010. This represents the single largest component of ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Operations: Collaborating Across Campus to Change Food Culture

  • Williams College (MA)

Effect culture change on campus with sustainable food programming. Learn how the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program introduces diverse student organizations, campus offices, and academic departments to sustainable ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing An Integrated Urban Farm, Modular and Mobile

  • Xavier University (OH)

With space constraints, a Master Plan that is a "moving target," and limited funds, Xavier University undertook to build a farm on-campus. The design choices at every step of the ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Feed The Beast: Organic Waste Collection in a Campus Food Court

  • University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI)

To gauge the feasibility of organic waste separation in a public setting, we studied the effect of introducing new waste receptacles into a student union food court. The public education ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Evaluating an On-Campus Farmers Market

  • Berklee College of Music (MA)

You can change all the light bulbs that you want, but no one will notice except to complain about the fluorescents. On the other hand, a farmers market is a ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Permaculture Gardens at UMass Amherst: A Case Study of Sustainable Edible Landscaping

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

Over 1000 different individuals have been involved in planting over 1500 fruit trees, nut trees, berry bushes, flowers, culinary and medicinal herbs and perennial vegetables on the UMass Amherst campus ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Food Systems: From the Classroom to the Field

  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)

Sustainable food system courses are uniquely situated to incorporate traditional, liberal-arts pedagogies and soft skills, with innovative experiential teaching techniques that engage students in different ways than traditional methods. The ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Farmers' Market: An Innovative Partnership Approach to Building Consensus and Gaining Approval

  • Purdue University (IN)

A successful farmers' market on campus provides access to local, healthy food, connects the campus to the local community and the regional landscape, and teaches students about where their food ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Fellow Students in the Less Glamorous Components of Campus Sustainability Work: University of Michigan Campus Farm Implementation Case Study

  • University of Michigan (MI)

When students at the University of Michigan are asked if they would like to help start a campus farm that will grow sustainable food for the University, they oftentimes get ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Our Campus as a Living Lab Program: Moving towards a Utopian Sustainable Food System

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

In this interactive session we will describe how our 11 year old Campus as a Living Lab program has contributed to food system transformation on campus. This community-based action-research project ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Students and Food Security in the North: UNBC's Dome Greenhouse

  • University of Northern British Columbia (BC)

Northern climates present major food security challenges, but students at the University of Northern British Columbia are eager to overcome these barriers in creative and effective ways. UNBC, "Canada's ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Measuring and Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Campus Dining Using the CHEFS Tool

  • Delta College (MI)
  • Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)

The movement and level of sophistication surrounding sustainable dining is growing, yet few institutions have as yet been able to measure their total "baseline" climate change impacts from dining services ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Catering services sustainable standards

  • Campus Responsables

The focus will be on the new sustainable catering assessment framework developed by Campus Responsables and implemented in several pilot schools and universities. The objective of this food management tool ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bringing Farmworker Awareness to the Sustainable Food Table at PSU

  • Portland State University (OR)

This presentation will highlight the work of three students who brought the national Farmworker Awareness Week campaign to Portland State University. The groups' primary goal was to educate students on ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Foam-Free Dining at the University of Florida

  • Aramark (PA)

Gator Dining Services/ARAMARK removed all foam food packaging from all dining location, including the dining halls, Classic Fare Catering, and the national brands on University of Florida's campus ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Give Us Your Scraps! How You Can Make a Significant Sustainable Impact Through Campus Composting

  • University at Buffalo (NY)

Two years ago our institution, preceded by innovation in trayless dining practices and reverse vending machines-initiated an aggressive composting strategy designed to greatly reduce food waste from our dining halls ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Successful Reusable Mug Incentive Program for a Large Campus Community

  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
  • Aramark (PA)

Food service operations generate a substantial portion of the waste stream at most universities. The University Recycling Department and Dining Service Company have partnered over the years to combat waste ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Role of Food Service Workers in Campus Sustainability Programs

  • Occidental College (CA)
  • UNITE HERE (DC)

Higher education institutions are at the forefront of a movement to reform the food system by promoting sustainable practices at campus cafeterias and dining services.

Yet the central role of ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Impact: The Challenges of Creating Interdisciplinary Courses on Food, Food Systems, and Food Justice to Empower Students to Action

  • Grand Valley State University (MI)

When looking to de-silo the often-segregated, triple-bottom line of sustainability, food seems the ideal course subject to broaden understanding. The class was formulated with a three-tiered structure - where our food ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Collaboration toward Sustainable Food Service

  • Emory University (GA)
  • Ithaca College (NY)
  • Pomona College (CA)

Sustainability in Food Service is a fairly new topic in higher education and it is being addressed in a variety of ways. Dining Services consumes large quantities of campus energy ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Hungry While Learning: Sustainability and Student Food Security

  • Bridgewater State University (MA)
  • Salish Kootenai College (MT)
  • Presidio Graduate School (CA)

We've all known hungry students who are lurking on the edges of campus buffets and loading up on one daily meal to get the most out of discounted meal ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Sustainable, Student-Run, and Delicious Cooperative at Your Campus

  • CoFED (NM)

Three times a day we choose put something in our bodies that is sustainable or unsustainable. Every student that comes into your school comes open to new ideas and experiences ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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CoFED: Student Leadership Through Cooperative, Sustainable Food Enterprises

  • CoFED (NM)

Empowered student leadership is the most critical tool to catalyze a culture of sustainability on your campus. Imagine your most active student leaders being able to engage any student that ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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In-Vessel Composting - From Farm to Kitchen to Compost, and Back to Farm

  • Johnson County Community College (KS)

Space on any campus is limited especially when you mention you want to compost food. In-vessel composting is a viable way to compost all your food while keeping odor under ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Eat Here Now: Imagining a Community of Very Very Local Food

  • NewSchool of Architecture and Design (CA)

There are a number of obstacles that hinder the development of urban agriculture, with land ownership, lack of available public funding, and competing demands on limited open space most often ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Carbon Valuing Menus...Creating Sustainable Behavioral Change in a Campus Community

  • Northern Arizona University (AZ)

One of Northern Arizona University's newest additions to campus dining is the Green Scene Café opened in Fall 2011. Take a look at how the café's carbon valued ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Food Fight: EPA's Food Recovery Challenge Strives to Reduce Food Waste

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

Food is the number one material reaching landfills and accounts for 13% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In order to decrease the significant environmental impact of food ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Harvesting Mesquite Flour at the University of Arizona: A Case Study in Local Innovative Food Production

  • University of Arizona (AZ)

This talk presents first year results and plans for a student-run campus harvest of mesquite flour at the University of Arizona. Endemic to the Southwestern U.S., Texas and Mexico ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Scaling up Campus Vermicomposting: A Cost Effective Methodology for Dealing with Pre-Consumer Organics

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

A large institution produces thousands of tonnes of solid waste annually, a large portion of which is taken to the municipal landfill. With increasing land values and rising fuel prices ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Case Study of the Campus-wide Dining Waste Audit at West Virginia

  • West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WV)
  • West Virginia University (WV)

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, less than three percent of the 34 million tons of food waste generated was recovered or recycled in 2010. Food waste now ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Food in Your Campus Community

  • CoFED (NM)

The session will be focused on sharing experiences of our different campus food services and food options, and sharing the work CoFed have been engaged in to make change. The ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating Sustainable Dining Options: Barriers and Hopeful Solutions for Feeding Hungry Students

  • College of Charleston (SC)

The presenters share their experience with analyzing the College of Charleston's (SC) current student dining options. Currently there is minimal institutional and contractural support for sustainable dining options, such ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building More Sustainable Communities Through Agriculture Integration

  • Green Mountain College (VT)

As citizens learn more about where their food comes from, and college students look to integrate themselves into their community there is a great potential for various campus groups to ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Role of Dining Services in Sustainability Programming

  • Ithaca College (NY)

Ithaca College and their food service provider, Sodexo Corporation, have worked together since 2009 to give continued support to the campuses Climate Action Plan through a Comprehensive Energy Initiative. Staffers ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Suburban Composting at Johnson County Community College: Looking at the First Year of Operations.

  • Johnson County Community College (KS)

The process of composting food residuals from dining service operations has been gaining in popularity at college campuses across the country in recent years. While an estimated 12% of the ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Researching Two On-site Food Waste Reduction Technologies at an Urban University

  • Loyola Marymount University (CA)

This presentation will discuss two research projects conducted at Loyola Marymount University on the effectiveness of on-site food waste reduction technologies. The first study analyzed a food waste dehydration system ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing Food Purchasing Guidelines

  • Luther College (IA)

This poster will outline the process and outcome of developing food purchasing guidelines for Luther's goal to source more food from sustainable sources. In 2008 Luther College made the ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Growing Awareness: Moving Maine, Moving Planet

  • Unity Environmental University (ME)

This short film explores the connections between local agriculture and climate change solutions. Produced by Unity College students, the documentary follows locally grown pumpkins through last year's 350.org ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Compost Initative

  • University of California, Riverside (CA)

Correct post-consumer waste placement is often overlooked in many sustainable, waste diversion efforts undertaken by Universities. It is usually harder to collect because it is up to the person throwing ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Animal Free Dining: The University of North Texas' Success with an All Vegan Dining Hall

  • University of North Texas (TX)

The presentation will focus on the essential tools needed to integrate animal free diet options into campus dining services. Topics will include partnerships between dining services and sustainability programs, the ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Students in Sustainable Food Procurement: The Real Food Calculator at the University of Washington

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)

The Real Food Challenge approaches student engagement in food systems work reform in various ways, one of which is an in-depth student research tool called the Real Food Calculator. It ...

  • Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Toward Zero Waste: An Initiative for the Student Union

  • Boston University (MA)

Campus dining is an intimate part of student life at any university, with the potential to have a major impact on culture. Learn how Dining Services can align with the ...

  • 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

OP 8: Sustainable Dining

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

Food & Dining Partners