| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.80 |
| Liaison | Pamela Mischen |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2023 |
Binghamton University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.92 / 6.00 |
Christopher
Harasta Retail Manager Dining Services |
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on products that are sustainably or ethically produced:
Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods:
An inventory of food and beverage purchases that qualify as sustainably/ethically produced:
A brief description of the methodology used to conduct the inventory, including the timeframe and how representative samples accounted for seasonal variation (if applicable):
Itemized purchasing reports for the campus (all major dining locations, excluding small kiosks and retail outlets) were acquired from the two vendors that supply plant-based food: Sysco and Mento Produce. These reports were analyzed line-by-line to determine how much was spent on only plant-based food/beverages.
We calculated total plant-based spend by dividing this number by the total amount of money spent on food for the same time frame.
August-December was chosen for this report because it covers an entire academic semester.
Website URL where the institution’s validated Real/Good Food Calculator results are publicly posted:
Which of the following food service providers are present on campus and included in the inventory/assessment?:
| Present? | Included? | |
| Dining operations and catering services operated by the institution | No | No |
| Dining operations and catering services operated by a contractor | Yes | Yes |
| Student-run food/catering services | No | No |
| Franchises (e.g., regional or global brands) | Yes | Yes |
| Convenience stores | Yes | Yes |
| Vending services | No | No |
| Concessions | Yes | Yes |
Total annual dining services budget for food and beverage products:
A brief description of the institution’s sustainable food and beverage purchasing program:
Binghamton University's dining service is contracted with Sodexo Dining Services which has a deep commitment towards sustainability business practices.
Binghamton University Dining Services has cultivated a campus food culture that celebrates the pleasures of producing, preparing and consuming sustainable food. The Binghamton University campus food system is comprised of multiple systems of production, processing, marketing, distribution, catering/preparation, consumption and waste management. Our policy includes a purchasing strategy that promotes sustainability in the campus food system by optimizing the mix of foods used by Dining Services with these objectives in mind: 1. increased use of fresh, minimally processed foods that meet sustainability standards, 2. emphasize direct purchasing from (local) producers, 3. optimize use of sustainable foods produced on campus (i.e. Binghamton Acres garden).
Some specific categories:
-All shell eggs are local and cage-free
-When available, we purchase local produce from Mento
-Bagels are purchased from Best Bagels, a local vendor
-Lupo's, a company in the Greater Binghamton area, custom makes sausage for our account
For more information, go to
https://binghamton.sodexomyway.com/planet/local.html.
Website URL where information about the food and beverage purchasing program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Vendor Purchasing Report from Sysco. This document showed all purchases from Sysco, allowing us to pick out individual items that were plant-based.
Vendor Purchasing Report from Mento. This document showed all purchases from Mento Produce, allowing us to pick out individual items that were plant-based.
Weekly Operating Reports showed total spend on food.
Vendor Purchasing Report from Sysco. This document showed all purchases from Sysco, allowing us to pick out individual items that were plant-based.
Vendor Purchasing Report from Mento. This document showed all purchases from Mento Produce, allowing us to pick out individual items that were plant-based.
Weekly Operating Reports showed total spend on food.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.