sustainability umbrella<\/a> is pretty wide. Yet a number of campus dining programs recognize the need to promote the methods they employ to assure students, faculty and the community of their commitment to the planet and the future.<\/p>\nAt the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, Cheryl Bauer\u2019s role centers on this tricky topic. As the Associate Director of Sourcing and Sustainability, she serves many people who arrive on campus with preconceived ideas about sustainability. While she monitors campus sustainability practices, a big part of her job is to educate students about what it means.<\/p>\n
A holistic mindset<\/h3>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t just look at a food and know about sustainability\u2014it takes a holistic approach,\u201d she says. \u201cEggs from cage-free birds are popular, but we want students to understand why, and that has to do with the life of a chicken in the henhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teaching students about sustainability starts with a definition\u2014\u201cUsing today\u2019s resources in a responsible way to ensure their availability for future generations.\u201d This basic statement is one Creative Dining Services Director of Corporate Sustainability Janine Oberstadt uses as a foundation for the company\u2019s work with campus dining rooms in numerous states.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreasingly, students are asking for transparency,\u201d Oberstadt says. \u201cAt the campuses we serve, we\u2019re not hearing the words \u2018clean label\u2019 as much as we\u2019re hearing \u2018real food,\u2019 those that have not been processed or refined.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u2018local\u2019 challenge<\/h3>\n
Vegetables fit this need nicely, she says, noting that there has been an uptick in vegetable consumption and veg-centric dining in higher education. \u201cThey eat vegetables not just because they look good or are healthy, but because they taste great.\u201d Vegetables can be grown organically, they undergo minimal processing and they can be harvested locally.<\/p>\n
Local foods are popular, Bauer admits, but not always a solution. At Notre Dame, students come from all over the nation and from other countries, bringing with them international tastes that local foods can\u2019t deliver.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d all like to eat local avocadoes and olives, but you\u2019re not going to get them in our climate,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s why we advocate a holistic approach, using products and practices that meet sustainability needs in broader ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The right fit<\/h3>\n
Notre Dame is building a matrix that will help determine ways sustainability fits their program. Examples include looking at minority ownership among suppliers, harvesting and transportation practices at farms and even energy usage and product waste in the campus kitchens.<\/p>\n
Cleaning chemicals are one of the reasons why a matrix is important. Green-label cleaning products might seem like the best for sustainability, but a matrix that considers all factors could prove otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome green chemicals are not as effective as their counterparts, so you have to use more of them or clean twice to get the same result,\u201d Bauer says. \u201cOur matrix will help define those difficult areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are a variety of green chemical and cleaning solution products available, with labels such as Green Seal and EcoLogo Certified. The goal is to use a chemical product that works in harmony with your equipment, says Gordon Food Service Chemical\/Beverage Category Manager Jared Robinson.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t be green and disinfect,\u201d he says, because green chemicals won\u2019t meet the standards for cleaning contact surfaces. \u201cBut you can practice sustainability in other ways, like saving water and energy by using the right products to achieve one-pass dish machine cleaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labels, labels<\/h3>\n
Chemical products have labels and certifications, and so does food\u2014everything from \u201corganic\u201d and \u201cgrass-fed\u201d to Rainforest Alliance Certified or ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) Certified can help promote sustainability.<\/p>\n
At Notre Dame, Executive Chef Don Miller made Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) practices part of the school\u2019s sustainability program. The Council promotes sustainability by assuring fish is responsibly caught and can be traced to its source.<\/p>\n
Waste not<\/h3>\n
Campuses considering sustainability measures can start in their own kitchens. Notre Dame uses LeanPath food-waste prevention methods to monitor the way fruits and vegetables are trimmed and measure what is being thrown out. Bauer said the Campus Dining Services \u201cWaste Warriors\u201d team reduced pre-consumer waste by nearly 40 percent\u2014an amount equal to nearly eight elephants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t make our own soup broths, so we\u2019re not using carrot or potato peels to flavor broth,\u201d she says, \u201cbut we do try to find homes for our trimmings by taking some of them to farmers for use in feeding livestock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other ways they promote sustainability are through reusable packaging, environmentally friendly disposables, recycling and food-donation programs. In September, Notre Dame became the first college campus to partner with Food Rescue US for transferring fresh food that would otherwise be discarded to needy families.<\/p>\n
The bottom line<\/h3>\n
Bauer and Oberstadt both advocate signs in dining halls that speak to sustainability and social responsibility. They also note that online sources and social media are great tools to promote certifications and traceability. Right now, the climate is good. Students are very appreciative of sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s students, Bauer says, are willing to pay a little more for sustainability. But as sustainability becomes the norm, that could change.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why Notre Dame and Creative Dining agree it\u2019s a good idea to focus on education, training and promoting sustainability practices now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really promote source reduction, which is a cool way to say conservation,\u201d Oberstadt says. \u201cThe greenest energy, water and waste stream is the one you never use or create.\u201d<\/p>\n
We can help<\/h3>\n
Information on the Gordon Food Service Clear Choice Program and the products offered can be found at gfs.com\/clearchoice<\/a>. You are able to identify items with the attributes your customers may be seeking during ordering by applying filters. <\/p>\nContact your Sales Representative for more information.<\/p>\n
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