Emory University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Emory University is partnering with the national non-profit The Conservation Fund (TCF) to support a diverse new generation of farmers in rural Georgia and help build the local food supply across metro Atlanta with a first-of-its-kind sustainable solution to food production needs. Through the Farms Fund, TCF permanently protects farmland within a 100-mile radius of Atlanta through conservation easements and leases the land to young, underrepresented, or minority farmers with a 5- or 10-year path to ownership. Emory, the largest employer in Atlanta with enormous purchasing power, has committed to purchasing sustainably raised food from farmers entering the program. Farmers can use this food purchase agreement from Emory to secure traditional bank financing and a reliable customer for the food produced. The results include the elimination of food waste on the fields through coordinated growing and buying between farmers and Emory, reduced transport of food for lower carbon emissions, protection of acres of greenspace permanently, and the creation of farm livelihoods to rural Georgians who have historically been denied access to land and financing. Emory benefits by having a more secure and resilient food supply with increased local food production as an adaptation measure in the face of climate change. The Emory-TCF partnership is the first of its kind in the US but is now being replicated in Chicago and potentially other metropolitan areas in the US. By focusing on underrepresented farmers, who face significant barriers to accessing affordable farmland and financing, the Farms Fund is designed to support next-generation farmers while boosting the supply of local, sustainable food in metro Atlanta including for Emory University and Emory Healthcare.

Emory University received $298,502 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to design a prototype anaerobic digester for food waste produced on campus. Keeping food waste out of landfills reduces carbon emissions and the environmental justice impact of waste. By producing valuable commodities such as biogas and fertilizer, that serve as substitutes for fossil fuel-based products, Emory further reduces its environmental impacts. Emory hopes that this model can be replicated by universities, corporations, local communities, and governments; accordingly, Emory’s best practices guide addresses environmental justice concerns including odor, noise, air quality, and water quality.

In October 2021, Emory’s President signed Second Nature’s Climate Commitment following mobilization by Emory students. Emory University continues to meet the Commitment requirements by annually tracking greenhouse gas emissions and adopting a climate action plan. The University built on past climate action planning processes and created the most inclusive plan in Emory’s history. In addition to the climate action plan itself, the Office of Sustainability Initiatives created a variety of supplemental products addressing, climate change and mental health, art and hope, and more.

Emory’s approach to creating a new climate action plan engaged campus and community members through multiple, in-person and virtual sessions hosted in different locations on campus to increase accessibility. Community members were also engaged as members of the Climate Action Task Force, overseeing the planning process, and as participants in the campus-community resilience assessment workshop facilitated by The Nature Conservancy. The Climate Action Plan also acknowledges the holistic people at and connected to Emory experiencing a changing climate and offers expression through art and compiles supportive, well-being resources. 

All data reported in this section are from September 2022-August 2023 unless otherwise noted.