| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.71 |
| Liaison | Christie-Joy Hartman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 13, 2024 |
James Madison University
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.78 / 6.00 |
Meredith
King Sustainability Coordinator Dining Services, Aramark |
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):
JMU Dining Services, contracted through Aramark, works in conjunction with food and beverage vendors and a third party, FarmLogix, to track and monitor our purchases. By separating out food and beverage purchases on reports created by both vendors and Aramark, Dining Services and FarmLogix can focus on distinguishing between sustainably or ethically produced and plant-based products. JMU Dining also has a full-time Sustainability Coordinator who oversees this process and is responsible for the accurate reporting. The STARS 2.2 Report was pulled from FarmLogix's system and then manually entered into the STARS submission template.
FarmLogix did add sources to their data collection method which increased the total spend compared to the previous STARS submission.
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 | Yes | 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:
JMU Dining Services, contracted through Aramark, seeks to purchase sustainably sourced food and beverages and environmentally preferable products, supplies, and services. Dining Services recognizes and highlights producers who focus on reducing their environmental impact. Dining Services is committed to nurturing new connections from farm to fork and changing the culture of food by nourishing JMU with menus that emphasize seasonal, fresh, local foods that are raised, grown, harvested, and produced within 250 miles of campus or within the state of Virginia as possible.
In order to follow up with the commitment to sustainable food, JMU Dining Services has approached food in many different ways. Dining Services sources all shell eggs from cage-free hens, offers Fair Trade coffee at multiple locations, opened a dining location to highlight local products, and offers extensive vegan and vegetarian option across campus. Dining Services promotes plant-forward options, hosts an annual Farm-to-Fork dinner highlighting local farmers, has partnerships with local businesses to promote their product on campus, organizes a Farmer’s Market on campus during the fall and spring semesters, and partners with FarmLogix to further understand and increase our local purchases. Dining Services has an expansive vegan and vegetarian selection in all locations. All residential, retail, and Grab-n-Go locations have vegan and vegetarian options. Additionally, we prioritize events at dining locations, like taste-tests, that continue to educate and provide unique vegetarian and vegan options. JMU Dining Services is committed to hosting plant-forward meals as frequently as possible. We have signed onto the World Resource Institute's Coolfood pledge which serves low-carbon mostly plant-based meals in both dining halls every day.
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:
FarmLogix added sources to their data collection which explains the increase in total spend from the previous submission.
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.