University of California, Davis
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

All University of California food entities are mandated to report sustainable and plant-based food and beverage expenditures, aligning with AASHE STARS criteria, to the UC Office of the President (UCOP) on an annual basis for the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). In an effort to streamline the reporting process for UC Davis food operations, all of the food expenditure data included in this report is based on fiscal year 2021-2022 data collected for the UC annual report. Food expenditure data is provided by two entities, Student Housing and Dining Services (SHDS) and ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo). Raw data provided by food operations was categorized on the criteria listed in AASHE STARS 2.2 by each individual operation and reviewed by the UC Davis Sustainability office. The total annual food and beverage expenditures for both of the campus food entities were then added together in order to calculate the campus percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on products that are sustainably or ethically produce and the campus percentage of total annual food and beverage expenditures on plant-based foods.

The University of California Sustainable Practices Policy guides sustainability efforts across the ten campuses and other university facilities. Sustainable Foodservice is one of the main focus areas of this policy. The system wide UC Sustainable Foodservice Working Group (UCSFWG), which includes staff from every UC campus and health system, sets the sustainable food goals for the policy. University of California tracks progress towards sustainability goals in its Annual Report on Sustainable Practices. The current policy goals align sustainable/plant-based food and beverage purchases with AASHE STARS 2.2. Along with goals for sustainable food purchasing, the policy also contains goals around education for patrons and food service staff.

UC Davis is a certified Fair Trade Campus, which is mentioned further in the IN-12: Fair Trade Campus credit.

UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services (SHDS) is already committed to actively engaging in procedures, policies, and practices that foster sustainable solutions at the University of California, Davis. As a leader in providing healthy, well-balanced meals to the campus community and an enriched educational environment that foster a balance of mind, body, and soul, SHDS has developed an integrated sustainable food systems program in each of the campus dining commons, catering and retail operations. Resident Dining Commons under SHDS are Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Certified (SASBC). SASBC reflects highly efficient equipment, water and energy savings practices in production, and student/staff education.

The ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo) is proud to be a sustainable operation on the UC Davis campus. Purchasing practices and education play a big role in sustainability for the student-run food operation. The CoHo uses its purchasing power to support the companies, practices and ideals that it feels helps the local and global community. For instance, the CoHo’s coffee selection is organic and/or fair trade, giving maximum benefit to the farmer and the land on which the coffee is grown. In addition to making sustainability-conscious purchasing decisions, the CoHo believe in the importance of educating its customers on the benefits of living a sustainable lifestyle. Local and organic food items are labeled accordingly, creating an awareness of the path that their food has taken and how the customer’s food selections can impact the global community. As an employer of over 400 college students, the CoHo also strives to bestow upon its employees a sense of pride in the social impact made by their employer.

Both operations have developed a relationship with local farmers and the UC Davis Student Farms, to make organic and locally-grown fruits and vegetables available to customers whenever possible. Campus food entities also participate in the Nourish food labelling system, which clearly labels menu items that follow established nutrition guidelines that aim to provide more fruits and vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and health fats (and less added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat).

Non-edible food accessory products were not included in scoring calculations. Please note that all items marked ‘organic’ on the inventory of food and beverage purchases meet the sustainable agriculture standards as outlined in the STARS 2.2 Technical Manual. All produce purchased from the UC Davis Student Farms is California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) accredited and most other items marked as organic are USDA Organic Certified.

Student Housing and Dining Services sustainable food and beverage purchasing information: https://housing.ucdavis.edu/sustainability/dining/

ASUCD Coffee House sustainable food and beverage purchasing information: https://coffeehouse.ucdavis.edu/sustainability/

Nourish Program: https://healthy.ucdavis.edu/eating-well/nourish-labels