Eating Sustainably at UCLA? Hannah Gustafson

UCLA has a wide variety of [similar] environmental initiatives on campus, including: – Intensive recycling program throughout campus – Dining Hall composting – “Tray-less” dining options to save water – Compostable dining utensils and packaging – On-hill organic garden – Organic salad bar in Hedrick Dining Hall – Fair Trade Coffee and Tea options available at most coffee houses on campus [Specifically, how does UCLA compost dining hall waste? – All dining halls collect food waste from plates and trays left by students. This food waste is then combined and shipped to an off-campus composting facility that takes care of the composting process itself. UCLA does not yet have the room or the facilities to compost the amount of waste produced by students and faculty each day, and so it is sent elsewhere.]

JASFasf California’s Central Valley UCLA: “In the past six months, the SFS has gathered over 6,000 signatures from students statewide in support of local, organic, and socially responsible food, as well as green dining facility standards.” – UCLA Food Sustainability Online “We make an effort to purchase California-grown produce. This supports the local economy and reduces energy use and pollution resulting from the transportation of goods.” "UCLA spends 20 percent of its food budget on locally grown food. Organic products are available, including some produce, baked goods and fair trade coffee.” -UCLA Dining Online The UC Sustainable Food Systems Campaign (SFS) is a student organization that collaborates with campus administrators, faculty, staff, local farmers, and other student groups in efforts to adopt more sustainable food practices at the university level.

[But… Data about the amount of organic produce purchased by UCLA is not known by the public. How much food is actually organic? Also, buying “local” from California’s Central Valley often supports the industrial agricultural machine that, through monoculture and synthetic chemical aids, contradicts the idea of local sustainability.]

UCLA students are heavily involved in the dining options on campus Student groups provide feedback and are actively involved in making food choices along with the university. UCLA is practicing "food democracy" in which stakeholders in the campus food system, including students, are collaborating to develop guidelines for best practices in dining services. [Examples of student groups actively involved in dining Hall food decisions: -SFS (Students for Food Sustainability) -FSWG (Food Systems Working Group) -Committees on Dining Commons Foods] Programs like “Waste Watchers” that involve the student body and encourage sustainable actions and promote awareness.

Covel Pasta Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce Spaghetti Noodles (Water, Spaghetti Pasta (Semolina Flour, Water, Liquid Eggs, Sea Salt), Sea Salt, Olive Oil Blend) Marinara Sauce – Tomato Paste – Tomato – Onion – Garlic – Sea Salt – Basil Leaf – Pepper – Oregano

Spaghetti Likely comes from a large scale, industrial manufacturer that sells in bulk to the university –[ staff unable to identify exact provider. – The grains and flour used to create the pasta are likely grown industrially and processed in various middle States – transportation likely over far distances -Inputs: water, chemical aids used in raising the crop, energy used in harvesting, processing, distributing and cooking the pasta. -Outputs: chemical pollution, dry pasta, waste involved in the production of the pasta -Packaged and shipped to UCLA via trucks]

Marinara Sauce Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Onion: farmed, perhaps local or from Central Valley, but probably not all organic. [Though none of the staff knew from where the ingredients were purchased, because of the volume produce necessary to make the amount of sauce, they are likely purchased in bulk from the cheapest provider (generally produced by industrial agriculture) Transported via truck delivery. Inputs: chemicals and water involved in growing process, human labor Outputs: pollution, pre-production and post-production waste Olive Oil: manufactured and processed on a large scale, purchased by UCLA. ]

Drink [Glass of skim milk – From multiple gallon box in dining hall – from the logo on the box and the packaging type, looks to be from a large scale dairy processing plant. Likely industrial dairy farm. – Inputs: corn to feed cows and sustain them to produce the milk, water. Outputs: cow’s waste – major methane contributor, possible chemical contamination from waste product, and likely use of chemicals to grow the corn. Transportation: From processing and pasteurization plant to UCLA – likely big truck delivery. ]

Is dining hall food sustainable at UCLA? [Despite UCLA’s efforts to support organic and local agriculture, a majority of the food found in the dining commons is farmed and produced via industrial, large scale agricultural methods. Hedrick is the only hall with organic produce for salads, the rest have conventionally produced foods. Because of the sheer size of the student population, cost has to be factored into decisions regarding the purchasing of food for campus. As a result, most of the food provided is bought in bulk for cheaper prices. Ultimately, UCLA is making efforts to support organic and local agriculture. – One of largest supporters of the South Central Farmers’ CSA, some organic produce BUT, size and cost limits the school from making entirely sustainable choices with regard to food. ]