Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 85.74
Liaison Sam Lubow
Submission Date June 28, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Stanford University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.78 / 6.00 Moira Hafer
Sustainability Specialist
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of dining services food and beverage expenditures on products that are third party verified under one or more recognized food and beverage sustainability standards or Local & Community-Based:
26

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (expenditures on conventional animal products)? (If data is not available, respond “No”):
Yes

Percentage of total dining services food and beverage expenditures on conventional animal products (meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, and dairy products that do NOT qualify in either the Third Party Verified or Local & Community-Based category):
24

A brief description of the sustainable food and beverage purchasing program, including how the sustainability impacts of products in specific categories are addressed (e.g. meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, dairy, produce, tea/coffee):

R&DE Stanford Dining has developed a set of purchasing guidelines and preferences to establish a practical framework and an ongoing process to guide decision making with food sustainability. These guidelines and requirements take into account the best interest of our environment, the social and economic systems on which our food depends, and the health of those to whom we serve food. Our guidelines are informed by the most current science and research available and draw upon the input and involvement of many stakeholders within our campus community with the goal of improving the overall health, safety, security and sustainability of our food supply. We seek to have a thoughtful food purchasing policy that prioritizes food that is healthy, fair, humane, and sustainable. We support the Menus of Change principles (moc.org) and co-lead the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (moccollaborative.org). More detailed information can be found online in our Food Ethos.

We prefer to purchase food that is:
• Local: We prefer food that is grown, raised or processed locally in order to sustain our local economies (especially supporting small and mid-sized farms and companies) and minimize transport, especially of fresh fruit and vegetables. We define three tiers of location: local is within 150 miles, regional is within 250 miles, and statewide refers to California grown produce.
• Direct: We prefer to purchase food directly from independently-owned growers, producers and manufacturers. We value knowing who grows our food and having direct relationships with them so that we can improve and learn together. We also prioritize purchasing food from women and/or minority owned businesses.
• Organic: We prefer organically, as certified by the USDA National Organic Program, grown food to minimize exposure to harmful pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers for both our customers, farmworkers, pollinators and wildlife, and the environment. We buy many organic products- such as our milk, tofu, salad greens, apples, tea, and many vegetables and herbs we buy direct from local farms.
• Agroecological: We prefer to source from farms that plant a diverse number of crops, as opposed to a monoculture, and employ agroecological methods of farming that protect and enhance soil health, biodiversity, and protect and preserve ecosystems.
• Humane: We prefer meat and dairy products from animals that are treated humanely and allowed to express their natural behaviors. We prefer products that have a third-party humane certification, such as Food Alliance, Global Animal Partnership, and Certified Humane. All of our beef is grass-fed and our pork butt is Certified Humane.
• Raised without Antibiotics & Hormones: We prefer meat, dairy items, and seafood from animals that were never given hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics (unless sick and under the advice of a veterinarian). All of our chicken, beef, pork butt, and milk must be raised without antibiotics.
• Fair: We prefer food that is grown in environments that treat their workers fairly and respectfully, comply with all labor laws, provide safe work environments, and do not employ slave labor. We prefer Fair Trade certified products over those that are not certified. Our coffee is Fair Trade certified.
• Sustainable Fisheries: Seafood must be sustainably raised in a way that allows the fishery to sustain itself for future generations without damaging the environment, overfishing, catching bycatch, or using slave labor. We prefer family fisheries that provide economic growth in their communities. We ensure that all of our seafood is Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch approved.


An inventory of the institution’s sustainable food and beverage purchases that includes for each product: the description/type; label, brand or producer; and the category in which it is being counted and/or a description of its sustainability attribute(s):
A brief description of the methodology used to conduct the inventory, including the timeframe and how representative samples accounted for seasonal variation (if applicable):

The Sustainable Food Program Manager collected a calendar year’s worth of data (2016 calendar year) from the 15 main vendors for the dining, café, catering, and concessions run by Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises. Items were analyzed individually based on the AASHE criteria and the percentage is based off of dollars spent.

All items labeled in the inventory organic, are in fact Certified Organic. Produce from the Stanford Educational Farm is organic, but not certified, but we are counting that under Local & Community Based.


Percentage of total dining services expenditures on Real Food A (0-100):
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Percentage of total dining services expenditures on Real Food B (0-100):
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Which of the following food service providers are present on campus and included in the total food and beverage expenditure figures?:
Present? Included?
Dining operations and catering services operated by the institution Yes Yes
Dining operations and catering services operated by a contractor No No
Student-run food/catering services No No
Franchises (e.g. national or global brands) Yes No
Convenience stores No No
Vending services Yes No
Concessions Yes Yes

A brief description of purchased food and beverage products that have other sustainability attributes not recognized above :

Our beef is grass-fed and pasture raised for its entire life, but does not have a third party certification, so we are not able to count that in the AASHE criteria, but we believe it is sustainable.


Additional percentage of dining services food and beverage expenditures on conventional products with other sustainability attributes not recognized above (0-100) :
2

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.