Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 75.28
Liaison Kara Holmstrom
Submission Date Feb. 25, 2022

STARS v2.2

Luther College
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.78 / 6.00 Wayne Tudor
General Manager
Dining Services (Sodexo)
"---" 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:
2.62

Percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods:
54.26

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):
Sustainable purchases from local suppliers are recorded on a weekly basis in a spreadsheet that tracks local spending and the associated certifications. All food expenditures are tracked using Sodexo E=vision software. Plant-based purchases were reported as total produce expenditures and 95% of grocery raw material expenditures. Information in this STARS report is based on purchases from September 2020- August 2021.

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

Total annual dining services budget for food and beverage products:
$1 million - $4.9 million

Optional Fields

A brief description of the institution’s sustainable food and beverage purchasing program:
Luther has developed a rich tradition of supporting local farmers through food purchases. Given that the college is the largest institutional food buyer in the northeast Iowa region, we recognize the impact of our food dollars on the local economy.

Luther’s definition of local and community based food: Food raised or processed by co-ops and businesses within a 100 mile radius for large farms, coops and businesses or a 200 mile radius for small to mid-size farmer-owned and operated farms and businesses. Foods considered local must also be minimally processed, produced in an environmentally sound way under fair labor conditions, and be procured from transparent farms and businesses open to hosting students for educational purposes.

From 2021-22 we have identified our food purchasing goals as the following:
1) Increase sustainable food purchasing in select food categories to these percentages:
Dairy - 75% local (all dairy - milk, yogurt, soft-serve, ice cream, cheese)
Meat - 50% local (pork and beef)
Poultry - 20% local (turkey and chicken)
Produce - 25% local (non-canned SnoPac, Luther Gardens, Iowa Food Hub)
Coffee and Tea - 98% Fair Trade

https://www.luther.edu/sustainability/food/purchases/

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:
https://www.luther.edu/sustainability/assets/SustainableFoodGuidelines.pdf

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.