Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.23
Liaison Josh Lasky
Submission Date March 5, 2020

STARS v2.2

George Washington University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.79 / 6.00 Meghan Chapple
Director & Senior Advisor
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on products that are sustainably or ethically produced:
0

Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods:
26.17

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):
SAGE queried their distributors for information on purchased products that fall into the requested categories. The process is manual and results fluctuate based on the time of year.

If reporting Real/Good Food Calculator results, provide:

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 No
Convenience stores Yes No
Vending services Yes No
Concessions Yes No

Total annual dining services budget for food and beverage products:
Less than $500,000

Optional Fields

A brief description of the institution’s sustainable food and beverage purchasing program:
SAGE's commitment to sustainability begins with their choice of vendors, selection of products and design of the dining program. It continues with a conscientious effort to minimize waste and implement environmentally responsible business practices.

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:
The numbers provided for Food & Beverage Purchasing correspond to SAGE Dining Services, the vendor for which GW has a contract for food procurement at the one dining hall on campus, which corresponds to 4% of total student spend on dining. GW has a unique dining program that allows students to take advantage of the retail dining options in Foggy Bottom, the densely urban neighborhood downtown Washington, D.C. where GW's main campus is located. As a response to student dissatisfaction in the past with the existing, traditional dining program, GW closed the dining hall on the Foggy Bottom campus and now allows students to choose from a wide array of retail dining across the neighborhood, using their GW dining funding to pay. In addition to the wide range of retail options, GW has one dining hall managed by Sage Dining Services called Pelham Commons. Located on the Mount Vernon residential campus, the dining hall is accessible by a free, short shuttle ride from the main campus. Pelham Commons is accessible to all GW students on the dining plan as an "all you care to eat" venue. Pelham Commons run by SAGE dining accounts for approximately 4% of the total spend at GW, while retail providers such as Whole Foods account for the majority of student purchases. Students are able to select from a range of options, including food trucks with which GW has arranged several low-cost options ("Meal Deals") to provide more affordable meal options to students. Students are also able to shop for groceries and prepare their own meals using the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods, a full-service grocery store, as well as the weekly Foggy Bottom Farmers Market (which additionally allows students to participate in community supported agriculture shares).

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.