Sustainability Outlook 2025

How Restaurants and Retailers are Leading the Charge

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025 HOW RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS ARE LEADING THE CHARGE

HOW TECH TOOLS ARE MAKING IT EASIER TO BE SUSTAINABLE SLOWING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY INSIDE ONE BRAND'S WAR ON PLASTIC

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WELCOME SAM OCHES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NATION'S RESTAURANT NEWS

RESTAURANTS With Green Location, Texas Roadhouse Gets a Case Study in Sustainability By Sam Oches RESTAURANTS Restaurant Tech Companies Want to Make it Easier to be Sustainable By Reyna Estrada RESTAURANTS 6 Easy Ways to Go Green By Joanna Fantozzi RESTAURANTS Working to Slow Climate Change Through Regenerative Agriculture, One Farm at a Time By Patricia Cobe SCHOOL DINING Students May Be Campus Dining's Best Ambassadors in Sustainability By Reyna Estrada SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT How Three Companies Are Leveraging Sustainability to Drive Revenue Growth SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT How Just Salad Proves the ROI on Sustainability for Restaurants SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT Making the Business Case for Sustainability By Heather Lalley

CONVENIENCE RETAIL Sustainability in C-Stores: Challenges & Opportunities By Diane Adam, Rachel Gignac, Heather Lalley and Chuck Ulie PODCASTS Path to Foodservice Profitability:Managing Waste At Your Convenience How One K-12 Operator is Bringing Sustainable Seafood to Students Onsite with FSD CONVENIENCE RETAIL Convenience Stores are Making Progress on Food Waste Reduction By Micheline Maynard GROCERY RETAIL Inside Aldi's War on Plastic By Timothy Inklegarger GROCERY RETAIL Hy-Vee Launches Solar Project and Bee Pollination Study By Timothy Inklegarger FROM THE INDUSTRY Multi-University Coalition Achieves Climate Impact Through Food Systems Change By Elizabeth Hansen FROM THE INDUSTRY Technology-Driven Solutions for a Sustainable Food System By Jonathan Keller

RESTAURANTS

WITH GREEN LOCATION, TEXAS ROADHOUSE GETS A CASE STUDY IN SUSTAINABILITY

The new Greeneville, Tenn., restaurant is a model for the casual-dining chain’s potential eco-friendly future.

SAM OCHES, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NATION'S RESTAURANT NEWS S ome restaurants that enjoy positive sales and traffic growth quarter after quarter might follow the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And for the most part, Texas Roadhouse — the No. 2 full-service brand in the U.S. by sales, hav - ing closed 2023 with nearly $5 billion at 638 locations, according to Technomic — follows that path, with very few changes to its menu and service structure over the course of its 32 years in business. But there’s at least one change that the Louisville, Ky.-based casual chain is exploring that could make a big impact on the business: sustainable operations. And the company took a very strategic, measured approach to that evolution by recently opening a sustainability-focused restaurant in Greeneville, Tenn., that can serve as a case study for sustainable innovation. Travis Doster, chief communications officer at Texas Roadhouse, said that with so much innovation in sustainable equipment, tech, and tools, the company wanted a better look at what might make sense for the stores — without committing to a wholesale change that would require a huge upfront investment. “So we said, ‘You know what, why don't we just open a restaurant and [get] proof of concept and put some different pieces of equipment and different items in there and just see what happens and see if it really does save energy?’” Doster said.

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

The Greeneville location, which opened in November, boasts a bevy of sustainability-minded tools and Energy Star–rated equipment. That’s especially true in the kitchen, where Texas Roadhouse has invested in a more sustainable dish machine, oven, fryers, and refrigeration, plus a bulk oil system that automatically recycles the oil. There are also low- flow faucets, toilets, and urinals, plus energy-efficient lighting, insulation, and windows. There are solar panels on the roof, and Doster said the restaurant will soon try composting. To commit to sustainable operations, he said, any change needed to make both “sense and cents.” In other words, new tools have to help the store be more efficient and effective, he said, but also be smart for the bottom line. The Greeneville location has a managing partner just like any other Texas Roadhouse — an owner-operator who buys into the restaurant and gets 10% of the profits — so the company had to ensure the investments would pay off (it also covered the upfront costs). “I think this was a big step for us just to say, ‘Hey, let's try it,’” Doster said. “Because again, it's not a marketing effort or anything, and it is some additional work on our staff, but I think we get a win if we get three or four things out of this that we can expand or give restaurants as options.” Doster noted that Texas Road- house has been on a sustainability journey since 2017, initially driven by late founder Kent Taylor and his pas- sion for the environment. That journey originally included a focus on “bees and trees,” Doster said. The compa - ny supports beekeepers around the country and even keeps about 200,000 bees at its headquarters, selling the honey to support its own Andy’s Out - reach employee assistance fund. For the trees, it supports the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees throughout the country, usually in areas devastat- ed after hurricanes or fires. The company’s sustainability initiatives have since included leveraging an energy management firm to monitor and disclose greenhouse

gas emissions at both stores and headquarters, as well as a sustainable uniform program that kept 5.5 million plastic bottles out of landfills and oceans by incorporating the plastic into hats, aprons, and uniform shirts. The Greeneville location could provide a huge step forward for Texas Roadhouse as it continues on that sustainable journey. “It may not work, and if it doesn't, then great lessons learned,” he said. “But if it does, it could be expanded system-wide. How awesome would that be?”

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

PHOTOS COURTESY: TEXAS ROADHOUSE

RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANT TECH COMPANIES WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BE SUSTAINABLE

When it comes to sustainability in the restaurant industry, simplicity and an emphasis on the bottom line remain key.

REYNA ESTRADA, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, RESTAURANT BUSINESS

S ince installing an HVAC unit powered by heat pump technology at one of his Dunkin’ units in San Anto - nio, Sean-Paul Ferrera be- gan saving approximately $1,000 a month on his utility bill. The new HVAC, which was installed in April 2023, also helped Ferrera de- crease energy use at that Dunkin’ by 60%. And that location isn’t Ferrera’s only one to cut down its energy con- sumption of late. Ferrera owns six Dunkin’ units in Texas, and over the past three years, utility costs for five of his stores have been reduced by at least 10%. This cost savings is, in part, thanks to Dunkin’s partnership with Budderfly, an energy efficiency technology com - pany. The companies’ partnership be - gan three years ago, and is currently in a pilot phase. As a part of the collaboration, Bud- derfly now manages the energy infra - structure in Ferrera’s Dunkin’ units, monitoring energy use and upgrading various systems, including HVAC. The company's services have saved five of Ferrera's stores a total of 576 mega- watt hours of electricity, according to Budderfly, which said that equates to 408 megatons of carbon emissions.

ing used.” From there, the company then de- termines where to make changes. “They came in, after an initial sur - vey, they determined where they were gonna see the greatest net benefit from an energy savings standpoint, so they re-lamped stores, they re-lamped my parking lots in some cases,” Fer - rera said. “They put individual energy monitoring on every circuit inside of my restaurants to better understand how we, as Dunkin’, are using energy, how each [piece of equipment] is us - ing energy.” Budderfly’s services come with no upfront costs. Instead, the tech com - pany invests in the facility’s energy infrastructure and makes its money

Sustainable technology compa- nies like Budderfly are leveraging their skills to make it easier for restaurants to be environmentally conscious. Here’s a look at how they’re doing it. BUDDERFLY’S HOLISTIC VIEW Budderfly takes a wide-ranging ap - proach to energy reduction, consider- ing environmental impact and analyz- ing the refrigeration units, lighting and insulation. “You can't manage what you can't measure,” said Al Subbloie, CEO of Budderfly. “So, we will submeter each facility, which gives us a good break- down of where energy is actually be-

“They put individual energy monitoring on every circuit inside of my restaurants to better understand how we, as Dunkin’, are using energy, how each [piece of equipment] is using energy.”

—SEAN-PAUL FERRERA, DUNKIN' FRANCHISEE

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

ILLUSTRATION BY NICO HEINS

we don’t get the swings up and down, which traditional AC forces you to have because the system runs then it stops.” In addition, the new HVAC system is approximately half the size of the old unit. The new system also pulls mois- ture out of the air, according to Ferre- ra, which helps the store remain at a consistent humidity level. As a result, Ferrera said the bakery products are lasting longer and stay fresher. In addition to the heat pump tech- nology, Budderfly uses an energy re - covery ventilator approach, which sep- arately manages airflow. Starting next year, Subbloie hopes to roll out the heat pump-powered HVAC to somewhere between 25% and 80% of Budderfly’s customer base.

by splitting the energy savings with the restaurant. The idea, according to Subbloie, is making it easy to do the right thing. “One of the first things [operators] say is, ‘This is too good to be true. What's the catch on it?’” noted Sub - bloie. Ferrerra said that the partnership with Budderfly provided tools he’d like - ly not have access to otherwise. “Coming from large-scale con - struction and engineering, building management solutions were big in airports and seaports, but when I got into this very small space, it’s just not

something that you can afford to do,” he said. “But Budderfly gives us ac - cess to that, all those tools that your average franchisee or restaurateur is not going to be able to access with the margins that we see in our industry.” Not only has Ferrera saved money and reduced his restaurant’s energy use with heat pump technology, but the donuts taste better, and the store is more comfortable for customers, he says. “It works very, very well. So, my location where we have it, tempera- ture stays stable all the time,” Ferrera said. “It’s a constant 72 in the space,

COPIA’S FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK

Other technology companies help op- erations focus on the issue of food waste. Copia is one such company. It of -

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

PHOTO COURTESY: SEAN-PAUL FERRERA

RESTAURANT TECH COMPANIES WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BE SUSTAINABLE

sults. Norton said that one site was able to its decrease food waste by 80% just by increasing the accuracy of its food orders. “Our goal is to reduce 800,000 tons of food waste by 2025 and save the restaurant industry £100 million in costs and that's through using this AI algorithm forecasting platform to give restaurants an easier time kind of choosing the right food and order- ing the right amount and not having to throw away huge garbage cans full of food,” said Norton. Norton said that Tenzo differentiates itself from other forecasting companies by being easily integrated into tech platforms restaurants may already use. “You sign in and all of your data is adjusted and put into one easy place to see without having to like switch back and forth to other different platforms and have a list of Excel sheets to try makes sense of,” he said. MANAGING DATA One thing most of these technology companies have in common is their ability to capture valuable data. Budderfly, for instance, provides its customers with details on how their energy savings translate to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Ferrera said this data is easily to access and understand. It also helps the team grasp what changes need to be made to reduce energy use and cut costs. “The Budderfly solution is not just, hey, we’re saving a couple of dollars. It’s really about, how do we make this sustainable long-term,” he said. Similarly, Copia provides its restaurant customers with an array of information, including how many pounds of waste they diverted from the landfill, how many meals were donated and what their carbon emissions offset is. The Cheesecake Factory, for instance, has tracked the impact of meals it’s donated using Copia. “In 2022, we donated more than 570,000 pounds of food to more than 700 local nonprofits, diverting it from landfills to give to those in need,” said Nick Sterling, director of sustainability at The Cheesecake Factory. “This helped to avoid almost 2.5 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.”

said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.” Additionally, Copia has a 99.9% match rate, which means if a business has food to donate, Copia can nearly guarantee it will find a home for that food. TENZO’S FORECASTING TOOLS Forecasting tech can also help oper- ations prevent food waste and save money. One UK-based company is doing just that with a system that helps restaurants forecast 30% to 50% more accurately, according to Elizabeth Norton, senior marketing manager at Tenzo. Tenzo uses AI algorithms that look at historical data sets as well as sea- sonality, events and weather to pro- vide restaurants with a report that pre- dicts how much inventory they should order. “Tenzo is what we call a restaurant performance OPS platform, which ba- sically allows restaurateurs to make data-backed decisions in real-time for their businesses, so they can improve performance in the day-to-day,” said Norton. The technology is mobile-first— Norton said that 70% of Tenzo’s users access the platform on their phones, making it “ideal for busy restaurateurs who are kind of always on-the-go: op- erators, directors and managers who have to move from site to site.” When it comes to sustainability, Tenzo’s technology has shown re -

fers its clients a fully automated food- waste tracking, prevention and redis- tribution platform, attacking waste from multiple angles. According to Kimberly Smith, CEO of Copia, simplicity and convenience were key considerations in developing the technology. “Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for businesses to do the right thing,” Smith said. “And so, that carries over into our technology. We regularly talk about how convenience is a crit- ical factor in supporting adoption for technologies like Copia.” Copia clients can track food waste with an app for the back of house, as well as donate surplus food to local nonprofits. Jeff LaTulippe, senior vice presi- dent of growth and innovation at True Food Kitchen, a Copia client, described the company as similar to a DoorDash or UberEats for food donation. When a restaurant employee would like to make donation, they simply re- quest a pick-up. The app then assigns a courier to pick up the order and de- liver it to a local nonprofit. LaTulippe noted that the only feedback he’s re - ceived on the program is that it’s very easy to use. According to Smith, Copia’s tech - nology presents numerous benefits for foodservice operations. “We’re making a positive social impact for communities in need by di- verting perfectly edible surplus food; we are reducing carbon emission off- set, so Scope 3 emissions and also returning meaningful tax deduction, so there’s a financial ROI for the busi - nesses that work with us as well,” she

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

PHOTO COURTESY: COPIA

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SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

RESTAURANTS

6 EASY WAYS TO GO GREEN

From zero-waste operators with their own farms to fast-food chains putting vegan options on the menu for the first time, sustainable businesses are on a sliding scale.

JOANNA FANTOZZI, SENIOR EDITOR, NATION'S RESTAURANT NEWS

M ost operators today are preoccupied with boosting traffic num - bers, as consumers be- come choosier spend- ers. In an inflationary environment, operators can respond by offering dis- counts or filling a robust LTO calendar, but there may be another option that appeals to potential guests. Restaurants can invest in sustain- ability practices. According to the National Restau- rant Association, sustainability and local sourcing is the No. 1 consumer macrotrend heading into 2025. An op - erator that practices eco-friendly oper- ations could attract more consumers especially in the younger Gen Z or mil- lennial demographics. For many operators, however, go- ing green gets pushed down the prior- ity list, because of fears of added ex-

penses. While it’s true that eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws and packaging cost more up front, and or- ganic food is not exactly cheap, these are not the only sustainable steps an operator can take. “If I tell a restaurant, ‘Don't do any - thing with energy, water, and waste; just invest in organic ingredients and [sustainable] packaging,’ then there's a good chance it's going to cost more,” said Michael Oshman, CEO of the Green Restaurant Association. “But if we take a holistic, comprehensive approach, then restaurants can ab- solutely save money, and they do. Restaurants that make bad business decisions don't survive. … If you look at the restaurant that's doing nothing [environmentally] and his neighbor is using less energy, less water, and sav- ing on his waste bills, then the second one is winning.”

“The problem is with restaurants that say, ‘come to our carbon- neutral restaurant,’

and meanwhile there’s nothing

sustainable on the menu, no energy or water efficiency,” —MICHAEL OSHMAN, CEO OF THE GREEN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

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Here's how to get started on sustainability in a way that doesn’t break the bank.

THINK REUSABLE INSTEAD OF PLASTIC-FREE 1 While plastic-free biodegradable packaging can cost more upfront than traditional plastic clamshells and cutlery, a more cost-effective investment could be reusable packaging. Companies like DeliverZero offer solutions for a closed loop reusable packaging system, where operators dole out food in reusable containers, and customers return them after their meals. This year, dozens of larger restaurant chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ joined a large-scale returnable beverage cup pilot program in partnership with NextGen Consortium in Petaluma, Calif. The trial allowed customers to borrow a cup and then return it at one of many return bins throughout the city. NextGen had another reusable cup challenge right before the pandemic, and Starbucks and Just Salad are among a few brands that have previously trialed reusable programs within their own companies. MAKE YOUR MENU GREENER 2 While most restaurants are not in a position to take meat entirely off the menu, adding some clearly labeled vegan and vegetarian options can be a good start. After all, meat and dairy production account for 14.5% of global greenhouse emissions, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Americans are becoming more omnivorous, so adding plant-based menu items won’t just be appealing to a niche audience. A 2021 study by research firm One Poll found that 47% of Americans identify as flexitarian and want to eat more plant-based meals than meat-based ones. “Adding those items can bring in new customers, because you don't need to be a vegan restaurant to attract a vegan customer,” Oshman said. “Even by having 10 or 20% of the menu items be vegan or vegetarian, it can really strengthen your current consumer base, and all of a sudden get on the radar of consumers that might not have been coming to the restaurant before.” WASTE NOT, WANT NOT 3 Reducing food waste is another cost-savvy sustainability tactic for operators. Technology can lend a hand here. Compa - nies like PreciTaste and Choco offer smart food inventory management tools that can predict ingredient needs so that operators can cut supply costs. There are also low-tech options for avoiding food waste. Brandon Collins is a corporate executive chef for Unilever Food Solutions, the sustainability arm of the consumer goods company (Hellmann’s, Magnum ice cream) where he helps explore different ways for foodservice professionals to make more sustainable decisions. Food waste, he said, is one of the top ways a restaurant operator can reduce their carbon footprint, from using all parts of a raw ingredient to pickling leftover produce before it goes bad. “A prime example is a carrot — whenever a carrot comes into the kitchen, nine times out of 10, the first thing a chef will do is throw away the greens,” Collins said. “So that’s waste, and then if they order them pre-peeled, that’s more waste. But I could chop up the carrot head and make pesto, and I can turn the peels into carrot chips. It gives me so many more options than if I order them pre-peeled. This will cost me less money, and I’m not throwing away food.” REPLACE YOUR SPRAY VALVE 4 Sometimes, making a few tweaks to kitchen equipment can make all the difference when it comes to reducing energy costs and water usage. One of the simplest fixes is to replace the kitchen sink spray valve. According to Jeff Clarke, ex - pert exchange director with the National Restaurant Association, a classic spray valve uses about 1.28 gallons of water per minute, but more efficient spray valves can get the job done using 0.7 gallons of water per minute. Over the course of a five-year lifespan of the piece of equipment, this could save operators about $1,000 in water bills, Clarke said. “Spray valves are not terribly exciting — you’re not going to find a documentary on them, though you will find documentaries on solar power and electric vehicles,” Oshman said. “But they are an easy change, and they’re very inexpensive, and could save you lots of money.” AVOID GREENWASHING 5 Greenwashing — or misleading the public about your company’s sustainability practices — is a controversial topic, and there’s conflicting information on what exactly counts as greenwashing, and what does not. For example, composting is a very trendy sustainability initiative. But not all cities have robust composting programs, or if they do, products could be mislabeled as compostable, and compostable products could easily end up in landfills by mistake. That’s why the National Restaurant Association suggests operators do their homework before trying out a composting program. “You have to understand your local infrastructure, know what fees are associated with the composting [and] how does the recycling and composting play together,” Clarke said. “So to just jump in can be very difficult for operators, especially those with multiple locations.”

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

6 EASY WAYS TO GO GREEN

Carbon offset credits are another controversial topic. While operators of all sizes use these — investing in solar, wind, and other “clean” energy sources to offset their own carbon emissions — some experts think this is a form of greenwashing because the operators don’t actually use solar or wind power firsthand. The Green Restaurant Association thinks that carbon offset credits are OK if done in conjunction with other sustainable practices. “The problem is with restaurants that say, ‘come to our carbon-neutral restaurant,’ and meanwhile there’s nothing sustainable on the menu, no energy or water efficiency,” Oshman said. “Operators get these renewable energy credits and carbon offset credits because they think it’s something good. But you should do it in addition to, not instead of.” GET ON THE SLIDING SCALE 6 Sustainability is a sliding scale, with operators on one side that are zero-waste composting masters that only use organic, local- ly sourced ingredients, and operators that want to start reducing their car- bon footprint without breaking the bank. Even using eco-friendly cleaning products and energy star equipment is a step up from doing nothing. “The reality is that with any large- scale societal problem, there is no silver bullet,” Oshman said. “There are many options, many sustainability certification levels. … There are lots of things restaurants can do, from replacing their petroleum candles with electric ones to using green pest control. Not everybody’s an expert in sustainable seafood. We don’t want people to get discouraged.” “If we take a holistic, comprehensive approach [to sustainability], then restaurants can absolutely save money.”

SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS HOW THREE RESTAURANTS PUT ECO-FRIENDLY STRATEGIES INTO ACTION

Hannah’s Bretzel, Chicago Hannah’s Bretzel is a three-unit con - cept famous for its German sandwich- es made on authentic bretzel (pretzel) bread. Besides sandwiches, the brand is also known for its stringent sustain- ability practices. Hannah’s Bretzel composts or recycles almost every bit of waste that comes out of the restaurant, purchase credits from wind and solar power companies, and purchase biodegradable packaging. But the brand has perhaps become best- known for its electric Mini Cooper, which the company uses to make all of its food deliveries. While some of the brand’s eco- friendly investments end up costing the company more, Hannah’s Bretzel just charges about 30 cents extra per sandwich to offset those costs. Plus, the Mini Cooper saves the company money. “We saved about $9,000 in gas money, and we park it in a public parking garage where they have EV chargers,” founder Florian Pfahler said. “We basically operate that car for free, and the savings make up any anything I pay in other sustainability areas.” Besides saving money on gas, Hannah’s Bretzel’s sustainability practices have become a brand differentiator. The brand is known for its fresh bread, locally sourced ingredients, and ethical business decisions, which makes it a hit in the Chicago community. Neon Greens, St. Louis, Mo Build-your-own salad concept Neon Greens takes hyper-local sourcing to a whole new level. The vertically in - tegrated brand grows its own lettuce in a hydroponic farm right next door. The 80 different lettuce varietals are grown in container farms, and the en- tire contraption was installed in four hours using a 150-foot crane. “We are all about embracing radical transparency in food and piggybacking on the movement of people wanting to know more about where their food

comes from,” Neon Greens owner Josh Smith said. So, why lettuce? Smith said that freshly grown lettuce tastes “completely different” from store- bought lettuce and lasts a lot longer in the fridge, too. Lettuce is also the highest yielding and quickest growing produce the company could grow. While some of the other produce is local, items like citrus have to come from Florida, for example. Neon Greens only has one location for now, and Smith imagines it will be even easier to spread hyper-local lettuce farms to other locations due to the benefits of economy of scale. Conscious Hospitality Group, Seattle As sustainable seafood practices be- come more commonplace, how chal- lenging is it for a multi-unit restaurant group to purchase only sustainable seafood? According to Norman Wu, founder and CEO of 60-unit Conscious Hospitality Group — owner of Just Poke, Sugo Hand Roll Bar, and other brands — it has actually gotten easier as they’ve scaled and attracted more purchasing power. “From day one, everything we’ve done in the restaurant[s] is eco- friendly,” Wu said, adding that they compost, are plastic-free, and only use certifiably sourced fish in their poke bowls and other seafood dishes. “When we started, we reached out to every tuna vendor and put them through a rigorous vetting process asking about their exact certifications.” Once the company started growing, it became cheaper to both vet fish suppliers and make sure the company was investing in as many sustainable operations practices as possible. “Once you’re at scale, a compostable fork costs exact same as a plastic fork,” Wu said. While the company’s rigorous sourcing practices are not cheap, Wu added that their customers are willing to pay more knowing that they can trust in the ocean-to-plate journey.

—MICHAEL OSHMAN, CEO OF THE GREEN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

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SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

WORK CLIMA THRO AGRIC AT A T

PATRICIA CO RESTAURANT

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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY: PAT DODSON

RESTAURANTS

KING TO SLOW ATE CHANGE

OUGH REGENERATIVE CULTURE, ONE FIELD TIME

Farmers in New York State’s Hudson Valley are using techniques that return carbon to the earth and restore soil health. Restaurants are beginning to embrace the movement as the next step in local sourcing, but is it a silver bullet for the climate crisis?

OBE, SENIOR EDITOR, T BUSINESS

S ix Dutchess Farm in LaGrangeville, New York, operated as a boutique horse-boarding facility with in - door riding rink and multiple pastures when Jennifer Kouvant arrived in 2008. By 2015, when she and her husband, Hans Li, walked the 12 acres, they could no longer ignore the visible soil erosion from years of horse treading and the decimated orchards that bore very little fruit. But as rookie farmers—Kouvant worked in food policy and Li in architecture—the couple was des - perately in need of mentors to teach them how to restore the health of their land. They found them at Stone Barns at Blue Hill, Chef Dan Barber’s working farm in Pocantico Hills, New York, and at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Organic Farm and Gardens operated by Darina Allen in Cork, Ireland. “Darina is an incredible educator and steward of the land,” Kouvant says. “We learned tons from her approach to caring for the land, listening to the land, giving back and not taking more than you give. The harmony and full - ness resonate, and respect for the land, which carries straight into the kitchen and your plates.” They learned that through diversified livestock and rotational grazing, they could regenerate their soil and put carbon back into the soil instead of into the atmosphere—a move that mitigates climate change. And they dis - covered the power of pollination. When the couple built a small honeybee apiary on the property, the honeybees began to pollinate the trees and crops and, within a few years, that unproductive orchard yielded an abundance of fruit. “Over several years, we transferred all the pastures into growing areas or rotational grazing fields for sheep, trying to replace everything with something edible for people, insects and animals,” says Kouvant. Armed with their knowledge, Kouvant and Li were well on their way to becoming regenerative farmers.

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

WORKING TO SLOW CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, ONE FIELD AT A TIME

• Tilling the soil less, or avoiding tilling altogether • Planting cover crops or growing a diverse array of crops

• Managed-grazing practices

• Targeted (or minimal) use of fertilizers

The Regenerative Organic Alliance is at the forefront of establishing a certification program and standard - izing regenerative farming practices, says Sophie Egan, director of strategy for Food for Climate League. “We do need a unified way of defining this to avoid consumer confusion, avoid gre- enwashing and help buyers identify and understand supply chain practic- es,” she says, “but the flip side is that certification can be cost prohibitive for a lot of farmers, and many of them are, in fact, farming in ways … that tru - ly align with the scientific consensus of what counts as regenerative. That’s where direct relationships really mat- ter.” Certification aside, Six Dutchess Farm is living proof that improving soil health on one small farm can have at least some impact in addressing the climate crisis. To begin, Kouvant applied for a USDA grant to convert one outdoor horse-riding arena into a growing area, but it was a no-go. “They told me it was too sandy and worn down to grow anything,” she says. Her solution: She blended mushroom compost with new topsoil and built high beds cov- ered with a 96-foot-long, heat-tolerant high tunnel. “There is no one soil recipe for ev - ery farm, but this performs really well for us,” says Kouvant. She germinat - ed tiny plants called plugs in the soil, eventually turning to flowers after dis - covering that vegetables and berries weren’t a good fit. “Once we could see all the parts coming together, we introduced flow - ers to the mix, both wildflowers for the pollinators to enjoy, and seasonal cut flowers, for our community,” she says. Six Dutchess Farm has built a successful wholesale business selling flowers to restaurants and event plan - ners and direct to customers at farm- er’s markets.

and Krüs Kitchen where “the regener - ative portion of both menus is about 80%,” he says. “In South Florida, we work with small farmers who employ those practices. At Tiny Farm, we even have our own set of vegetable rows.” “From a farmer’s perspective, work - ing with Chef Sebastian, Josh and Pili at Krüs and Los Felix is a pleasure and a rarity," said Roberto Grossman of Tiny Farm. "Sebastian has visited our farm more than any other chef, he loves seeing the process and getting involved in our crop planning so he knows what to expect from us. Their love for local, fresh and artisan prod- ucts is special.” Both restaurants have received a Michelin Green Star for sus- tainability. GIVING BACK TO THE EARTH Just like sustainability, there is not yet a standard definition for regenerative agriculture. But there are some gener - al, agreed-upon guidelines:

BUT IS REGENERATIVE FARMING A MAGIC BULLET IN THE FLIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE? Some say regenerative agriculture is the most important way to mitigate climate change. But others believe big ag and food manufacturers are co-opting the term and watering it down. And, for restaurant operators, the topic can be an especially confus- ing one because there is no national certification program for suppliers fol - lowing regenerative practices. Advocates like foodservice distrib- utor Baldor Specialty Foods believe “restorative agriculture” is the more- accurate term for smaller farmers and true practitioners. Josh Hackler, CEO of Grassfed Cul- ture Hospitality in Miami, focuses on ethos rather than semantics. He op - erates restaurants including Los Felix

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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY: PAT DODSON

“From spring through fall, we grow seasonal cut flowers and foliage, cho - sen for their beauty and compatibility with our Northeastern climate,” she says. This summer, the first high-tun - nel greenhouse was filled with rows of lisianthus in bloom, a rose-like prairie flower that is now cultivated at Six Dutchess Farm. Those rotate with fall dahlias, winter tulips and oth- er blooms, and there’s now a second high tunnel on the acreage. ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE Kouvant is currently developing anoth- er horse-riding ring into a test area for dahlias. Sunflowers and perennials grow nearby. “We do as little tilling as possible to do minimal physical dam- age to the soil, integrating compost as we till to enrich what we disturb,” she says. Bone meal and blood meal are the natural fertilizers; no chemicals are used. The former paddocks are home to Gotland sheep, a Swedish breed that helps repair the landscape through ro- tational grazing that puts carbon back into the soil. “We move the electric fences every few days for less disrup- tion to the soil,” Kouvant says. She intends to plant cover crops like mus- tard seed to protect and nourish the soil and encourage root development. The couple spent time observing their land before deciding what edi- ble crops to plant. “We’re a microcli - mate within a microclimate, and since we've been here, climate change has brought a lot of flooding and weather extremes,” she says.

Six Dutchess Farm originally had a small orchard on the property that yielded no fruit. Kouvant introduced two honeybee hives and planted pol- linator crops under the trees. Now the trees produce hazelnuts, Asian pears, chestnuts, quince, pawpaws (a native North American fruit), and jujubes (Asian dates.) Red and black currants, gooseberries, mul and elderflower ber - ries also grow on the property. Sixteen hives now occupy four quadrants on the property, producing enough honey to sell at nearby farmer’s markets. But Kouvant has noticed the im- pact of climate change in the last few years. “The bees woke up in February this year, and we started the flower season earlier and may end later,” she says. Flooding has gotten worse, and she’s planted sea buckhorn to control erosion and water flow. One year there was a late frost in May. “You never know how the crops will respond,” she adds. Common Ground Farm in nearby Beacon, New York, has experienced similar effects, according to Farm Manager Rhys Bethke. “Last year was too wet and the year before too dry,” they say. “This past June, there was a heat wave, and the lettuce started to bolt. We had to rush to get it out of the fields. Every year is unpredictable in a different way, which makes it hard to plan.” As climate change causes tem- peratures to rise, the insects have more time to reproduce, too, Bethke says. Flea beetles infested some of the crops at Common Ground, while gyp- sy moths invaded Six Dutchess Farm. Regenerative farmers shun chemical

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

WORKING TO SLOW CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, ONE FIELD AT A TIME

pesticides, but Kouvant found an or- ganic spray that was effective. Common Ground’s lease requires them to farm regeneratively, and four acres are planted with a variety of herbs and vegetables, including sal- ad greens, sunchokes, cucamelons (a tiny watermelon with cucumber flavor), okra, peppers, heirloom toma - toes, eggplant, radishes and winter squash. “As it gets hotter, the growing season gets longer, and we can end the season in December with broccoli, cauliflower, beets, cabbage, chard and kale,” Bethke says. It used to snow as early as October in New York state’s Hudson Valley. Soil prep is key to successful re- generative farming, Bethke explains. “We don’t till very deep, using a disc harrow just to break up the soil and seed,” they say. Shallow tilling helps the soil retain more carbon and keeps it healthier. Organic compost, fish emulsion and/or chicken-feather meal are used as fertilizers. Marigolds are often planted between rows to keep pests away. Physical plastic covers are used for weed and insect control. At Common Ground, no pesticides or chemicals are used. “Crop rotation is also important to soil health,” Bethke says. “Tomatoes are planted in a different place every year, as they are very big users of nutri- ents. And we always cover crop fields as we rotate, using a combination of grasses and purple flower to add nu - trients back.” Seeded cover crops in walkways also act as “living mulch” to keep weeds out. WITH REGEN FARMERS Common Ground has a huge presence at the Beacon Farmer’s Market, and while the farm used to sell to restau- rants, it now focuses on selling direct- ly to consumers, pick-your-own CSAs and education. So how can restaurateurs and chefs identify and source from regen- erative farms when there’s no certifi - cation program yet? “The best way is to develop di - rect-sourcing relationships with farms just as you would for organic and local … tour the farm and see for yourself,” CONNECTING RESTAURANTS

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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY: PAT DODSON

says Egan of Food for Climate League. While regenerative farming does have additional criteria, she refers to it as “organic plus.” Clare de Boer, chef-owner of Stiss- ing House, a 120-seat fine-dining restaurant in the Hudson Valley town of Pine Plains, New York, says regen- erative practices are built into her op- eration. “We’re smack in the middle of farmland, and the whole reason most people come up here [from New York City] is to experience the beauti - ful countryside, so it's not something we've really ever had to think twice about,” said de Boer. She buys pork from a local farmer who uses his pigs to till and regener- ate the soil and a mill that grows grain as a cover crop. The mill then stone grinds the grain, and de Boer uses it in baked goods. “They rotate the grain crops, so we don’t always know what we’re getting but we buy what they have,” she says. De Boer has also worked with Six Dutchess Farm, purchasing Kouvant’s flower displays and bouquets for Mother’s Day pop-up events earlier this year. While Stissing House is surrounded by rich farmland and a growing num- ber of eco-conscious farmers, not ev- ery restaurant has that advantage. “I’d encourage operators to talk to their distributors and find out if those type of products are available, just like lo- cal and organic products,” says Egan. Demand from buyers can encourage increased supply, she believes. When the supply chain broke

during the pandemic, local and region- al systems stepped in and gained in importance. Now more of those orga - nizations are working to increase the visibility of and access to regenerative farmers. The Common Market is one such organization that connects family farmers with wholesalers around the country; they then sell to restaurants and larger institutions. Direct relation - ships with the farms provide insights into growing practices from the time the seeds go into the ground. Fresh - Point, a division of Sysco, currently has identifiers for local and organic produce sources on its website and is working toward adding regenerative labeling. The Regenerative Organic Alliance is another resource with an ever-expanding database. But food grown regeneratively is usually higher priced. How can opera - tors, running on razor-thin margins as it is, justify paying more—and perhaps get customers to pay more, too? Taste and nutrition are potential selling points, says Egan. The Nutrient Density Alliance, a nonprofit working to advance and educate consumers on the nutritional benefits of foods grown regeneratively, has scientists looking into the taste benefits as well. “The hypothesis is that greater nu - tritional content can translate to great- er flavor,” says Egan. “In my mind, it’s similar to the way peak-season pro- duce tastes better because there’s less time for the nutrients to degrade. It’s just my hunch, but it may link back to soil health. If there are more nutri -

ents in the soil, then the food grown will be more nutritious and tastier.” If scientists can prove this, and restaurants can communicate this, it would be a big win for regenerative ag- riculture, she believes. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned at Food for Cli - mate League, it’s that climate change is not a top driver of food choices. Taste, cost and health come first,” says Egan. NOT A PANACEA Egan also cautions against thinking that regenerative farming on its own can solve the climate crisis. “It’s just one tool in the toolbox … one of a number of related climate solutions. It is an important piece of the puzzle for the huge role food and agriculture must have in addressing the overall climate challenge but it’s not a silver bullet,” she says. There’s still a lot of research be - ing done, and the science shows that the role regenerative farming plays in carbon sequestration is helpful in mitigating climate change, but some scientists warn it’s unclear how much carbon can be captured, how long it stays stored and how to access it. It’s important not to get carbon tunnel vi- sion in terms of how we evaluate po- tential climate solutions, Egan says. Nevertheless, “there’s a ton of oth - er reasons to still go forward with ex- panding regenerative agriculture, from soil health to water conservation, bio- diversity, habitat, nutrition and even flavor,” she says.

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

SCHOOL DINING

STUDENTS MAY BE CAMPUS DINING'S BEST AMBASSADORS IN SUSTAINABILITY As college and university dining programs grapple with the question of how to be more sustainable, their own diners may help them get the message across. W hat’s driving sustain - ability at college dining programs? For some operations, it’s the din - ers themselves. Well, REYNA ESTRADA, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FOODSERVICE DIRECTOR

various groups together. Since then, the student government has taken over the committee, but BC Dining remains active and still attends the meetings. In addition to student sustainability groups, the dining team also works with six student sustainability interns and a student manager. “[Working with student interns] really just charges me up, gives me good ideas," Emery says, noting that working with the student interns is her favorite part of the job. "It gives me the opportunity to hear what the pulse is on campus, what students are saying. And they're just kind of like our ambassadors. They are always trying to help us make the program better." And, Emery says, while these student groups obviously don’t represent the opinions of every

student at BC, they work as a small vocal group that is passionate about driving environmental change. “So, there are some students that are really interested in it and involved and active and then there are some that aren't," she says. "And so, we see it as part of our job to try to educate them, give them options." Sustainability continues to be a hot topic throughout the foodservice industry as more and more players consider the environmental impact that comes along with serving food. In FoodService Director’s annual State of C&U survey, we asked our readers to consider trends in sustainability in college foodservice to get an understanding of the environmental issues impacting the industry today. We also explore the way in which operators and other

at least, diners are one of the major drivers of sustainable dining, accord- ing to Beth Emery, director of dining services at Boston College (BC). As is the case in most college communities, many students at BC are very involved in advocating and making their voices heard on topics like social justice and the environment. There are about eight different student sustainability groups on campus, and each focus on different areas of sustainability, such as purchasing, waste and other avenues. About six years ago, BC Dining started a Sustainability Action Committee in an effort to bring the

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ILLUSTRATION: MIDJOURNEY/NICO HEINS

foodservice players are addressing such issues. The results showcase that sustainability is a definitely a consideration for the college dining programs surveyed, as only 5.26% of respondents said that sustainability is not an area of focus at the time. Here's a look at some of the trends we uncovered and how those trends are coming alive in college foodservice. Waste, particularly food waste, is a hot topic throughout the foodservice industry at large. And for good reason. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, each year, U.S. food loss and waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Reducing your operation's food waste is a great way to cut back on carbon emissions associated with the food served. FSD's survey shows that food waste appears to be a hot-button issue under the larger umbrella of sustainability for college and universities, with 89.5% of respondents reporting it's a focus area for them. In 2018, Compass Group started Stop Food Waste Day, an annual day of education and action surrounding reducing food waste. Now the day is celebrated globally by all sectors. In the college and university sector, Chartwells Higher Education hosted weeklong activities including a campus wide-Farmers Market. The University of Nevada at Reno celebrated a food waste competition between students and staff. WASTE TAKES CENTER STAGE Emery has noticed that food waste has is becoming a bigger and bigger focus in college and university foodservice recently. She says BC dining has made strides in reducing both food waste as well as packaging waste. She noted that BC doesn’t produce as much waste as many other colleges and universities because it is a retail campus. “We don't have the post-consumer waste that you have as much as you have in an all-you-care-to-eat program,” she says. The team also offers reusable plates and ware when students are dining in, and has launched a reusable to-go container program.

locations and done a fair bit of training and education about food waste in our team meetings,” Emery says. PLANT-BASED ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE A major effort to increase plant- based options was another big trend showcased in our State of C&U survey, with 73.7% of respondents indicating that offering plant-based options is a consideration for their operation. Major foodservice provider Sodexo recently increased its plant-based offerings on college campuses with the launch of its DefaultVeg initiative at nearly 400 college campuses. Emery predicts that plant-forward fare will continue to be a trend both at BC and within the industry as a whole, moving forward. “There seems to be more students choosing the plant-forward options than ever before. So, I do think that that's going to grow,” she says. One way the trend has come to life at BC is educating diners about plant- forward ingredients, like kelp. Last month, the college held a kelp culinary competition on campus. Each dining location was responsible for coming up with their own dish, and a panel of judges including students, professors and staff judged the recipes. The winning recipe, which was a tofu mushroom-kelp Wellington, will make it onto the menu next year.

“You can look at it as food waste, and then you can look at packaging waste," Emery adds. "Because we're a retail campus, students have the opportunity to take items to go. So, we're doing everything we can to try to get them to use reusable takeout containers.” As is common with many reusable container programs, there were some challenges associated with launching it. But as the team put more effort into marketing the program, students began to respond positively. One change that Emery says has had an impact is offering a 10% discount when dining with a reusable to-go container. BC Dining Services also teamed up with the student government to put some momentum behind the program. And as a result of these efforts, BC Dining Services effectively doubled the amount of uses from last year to this year. “We still have more opportunity to get more people to use it because we're retail, there's a lot to go. And we'd like to decrease the amount of trash that's been generated,” she says. To monitor and digitize food waste data, BC Dining uses a program called Leanpath, which helps the dining team to track and reduce the amount of back-of-house waste. In addition, training and education is a huge component of the college’s food waste approach. “We have rotated among different

SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025

ILLUSTRATION: MIDJOURNEY/DIMITRI MORSON

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