FROM THE INDUSTRY
MULTI-UNIVERSITY COALITION ACHIEVES CLIMATE IMPACT THROUGH FOOD SYSTEMS CHANGE A group of nearly three dozen colleges and universities is demonstrating how institutional collaboration can yield greater-than-expected results. T he SFI Collective Impact Strategy, an innovative approach to sustainability in institutional foodservice, is demon- strating the power of collaboration in addressing complex environmental challenges. Spearheaded by Stanford’s Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Stanford Food Institute (SFI) and launched with the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC), this initiative is the first of its kind in college and university foodser - vice. Its ambitious goal is a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from protein purchases by 2030, achieved through a collaborative, data-driven approach. The initiative unites 70 diverse institutions, each at different stages of their sustainability journey, under a common agenda to shift toward plant-forward, climate-friendly menus. This collaboration provides participants with tools, data, and peer sup - port to make meaningful changes, with the first five years already yielding impressive results. Collectively, the initiative has reduced emissions by 23%, equivalent to eliminating 179 million pounds of CO2—comparable to removing 17,680 cars from the road annually or avoiding 129,000 cross-country flights. ELIZABETH HANSEN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF HOSPITALITY STRATEGY & MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS R&DE STANFORD DINING, HOSPITALITY & AUXILIARIES
SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025 40
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