Maryland Dining Services Launches a Sustainable Food Commitment

College Park, Md. -- The University of Maryland's Department of Dining Services has created a commitment to sustainable food and launched a Sustainable Food Working Group, comprised of students, faculty and staff, which will collaborate to create a more sustainable and healthy campus. The group will help the department find innovative and cost-effective ways to achieve a goal of 20 percent sustainable food purchases by 2020, with a focus on local food. Food is considered sustainable if it is: local, fair, ecologically sound or humane.

"Dining Services is committed to leading the campus' strategic initiative and becoming a showplace for environmental stewardship by serving sustainable and healthy food," says Colleen Wright-Riva, Dining Services director.

The working group is just one piece of Dining Services' sustainable food commitment, which includes the following benchmarks:

- 1 to 4 percent annual increase in sustainable food purchases
- Annual, incremental increases in sourcing from local growers, with special emphasis on Maryland growers and harvesters
- Annual, incremental increases in sourcing unprocessed, whole goods - 20 percent sustainable food by 2020

"Dining Services' goals for sustainable food are well aligned with the University's strategic plan and the President's Climate Commitment. The Sustainable Food Working Group is a wonderful example of innovative cross-campus collaboration," says Wallace D. Loh, University of Maryland president.

Working with campus stakeholders, Dining Services is launching a Farm-to-School series. Planned activities include featuring local produce and offering seasonal special dinners in dining halls, sponsoring workshops, on-campus visits with local farmers, and off-campus tours of local farms. In addition, Dining Services will continue its participation in four on-campus vegetable gardens and the Farmers Market at Maryland.

While this commitment is the newest venture by the department, Dining Services has been focused on sustainability issues for many years. The Green Dining initiative originated with DS Facilities Maintenance several years ago, piloting recycle and compost programs in campus dish rooms and building gardens on the roofs of campus dining halls. Green Dining has expanded to a department-wide effort with a full-time Sustainability and Wellness Coordinator.

Click here to learn more about UMD's Dining Services Sustainable Food Commitment.

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