STUDENTS MAY BE CAMPUS DINING'S BEST AMBASSADORS IN SUSTAINABILITY
WORKING THROUGH CHALLENGES As college and universities continue to further their sustainability goals, there are a myriad of challenges that are bound to pop up. Notably, is the cost of being sustainable. Emery says that cost has proven to be a challenge when it comes to local sourcing. “Some of the things that you'd like to purchase you might not be able to afford,” she says. In addition, depending on the location of the operation, there is weather to think about. It may be impossible to source certain products, depending on the time of year. “So, if you're trying to get regional products, you might have to go hydroponics and then they might be more expensive,” Emery says. Another challenge, particularly for college and universities, is around education and creating the sustainability message in a way that resonates with diners. Students at colleges and universities typically turnover in about four years, which means the foodservice staff is always educating new diners. “So, you're always educating students and trying to build relationships with them so that you can collaborate on some of these projects, and they look at you as a partner, and somebody that really wants to improve in that area," Emery says. That partnership idea has worked to get the sustainability message across by relying on students to reach students. Oftentimes when the dining team presents in front of classes, Emery will opt to have a student take the lead. “I usually prefer that a student's doing the presentation instead of me because I feel like peer to peer is more effective,” she says. The team has also found success in tabling events and leaning into social media. “They [sustainability interns] have 'Sustainable Sundays,' where they share facts on our social media and they'll do a reel--we've been trying to work hard on the reels-- to get more people to do the Green to Go which is our reusable container program,” Emery says.
“There seems to be more students choosing the plant-forward options than ever before. So, I do think that's going to grow.” —BETH EMERY, DIRECTOR OF DINING SERVICES AT BOSTON COLLEGE
THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING
through that partnership, the team has helped small local business try out a new audience. “We go to a lot of those local food shows to try to look for new things that might make sense. Certainly, like the kelp meatballs is, is a local vendor and we're supporting, you know, the regional economy,” she says. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also has a robust local purchasing program: “Nebraska. Local.” The program aims to cultivate partnerships with local agricultural producers to source product and meat for dining halls, according to Technomic’s, FoodService Director’s sister publication, 2023 Beyond Restaurant Insights- College & University insights. As a part of the program, the dining team served locally sourced Nebraska meat, which was raised just 30 minutes from campus.
Another factor to sustainable dining that may be a little less obvious is purchasing. Many colleges and universities like BC incorporate locally grown food onto their menus, which cuts down on carbon emissions associated with transportation. 57.9% of survey respondents report that local sourcing is a consideration for them currently. Several respondents indicated that local sourcing and establishing a campus garden are something they are considering moving forward. Emery says that in addition to local sourcing, identifying more minority- and women-owned business to source from is another goal of BC Dining. Emery and her team work with an incubator kitchen in the Boston area called Commonwealth Kitchen. And
SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025 22
ILLUSTRATION: MIDJOURNEY/DIMITRI MORSON
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