University of Winnipeg
OP-6: Food and Beverage Purchasing

Some of our local suppliers: Bearcat Fisheries; Bothwell Cheese; Braman's Greens; Common Sense Natural Products; DeRuyck's Top of the Hill; Greenland Gardens; Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative; Heritage Lanes Natures Farm; Neva Hydroponics; Oak Island; Six Sprouts Farm; Stonewood Elk Farm; Tall Grass;

The University of Winnipeg is recognized as a pioneer in sustainable food because of Diversity Foods, the campus food service that was established in 2009. Diversity is a joint venture of the University of Winnipeg's Community Renewal Corporation's (UWCRC) & SEED Winnipeg to deliver excellent food services to the University of Winnipeg while providing meaningful employment and ownership opportunities for the community. Their specific community objectives include job opportunities in the food industry for new Canadians, Aboriginal people, community residents and University students. Diversity's mission is to provide food services that demonstrate the desire to meet the goals of sustainability at the University within a work environment that reflects a high level of training for the diverse group of employees. This year, Diversity undertook a voluntary audit through Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Service (LEAF). LEAF offers accreditation to restaurants demonstrating environmentally sustainable foodservice practices, and provides a benchmark for foodservice establishments across Canada. Three levels of certification are available. Diversity earned a total of 449 points through the audit, well above the minimum of 300 points required to earn the third and highest level of LEAF certification. Particularly noteworthy achievements include: - 65% of food purchased comes from local family farms within 100 km of the University, 100% of seafood purchases are OceanWise certified, 100% of coffee, tea, rice, sugar, and retail chocolate is either fair trade or direct trade; - The use of only compostable packaging and 100% recycled paper products; - A robust waste diversion and reduction program that includes pre-and post- consumer composting, bi-weekly food donations, bulk condiment purchasing, strict inventory controls, and recycling of used grease. Unfortunately, Diversity did not meet one of the prerequisites for level 3 certification – that 60% of equipment in use be Energy STAR certified. As such, Diversity is currently certified at a level 2. In the coming year, the University and Diversity are working together to address the one gap in achieving level 3 certification.

There is not methodology in place to track sustainable food purchases at Diversity. However, an in house audit of sustainability purchases was conducted by third-party organization LEAF (Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Services) in 2014 using invoices from the previous year.

Diversity Food Services is certified under LEAF (Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Services). Diversity exceeds Fair Trade Campus requirements; however Diversity has concerns with the Fair Trade Campus program's impact on smaller direct-trade roasters and has chosen not to support the FTC program.

UWinnipeg has claimed credit for Green Seal and Marine Stewardship Council Certification. We are in fact certified Silver by LEAF and certified sustainable through the Vancouver aquarium's Ocean Wise program. Weblink to LEAF: http://leafme.ca/green-restaurants/ Weblink to Oceanwise: http://www.oceanwise.ca/content/ocean-wise-universities-and-colleges Diversity Food Services is a joint venture of the University of Winnipeg's Community Renewal Corporation's (UWCRC) & SEED Winnipeg. Diversity's mission is to provide excellent food services that demonstrate desire to meet the goals of sustainability at the University, within a work environment which provides meaningful employment for new Canadians, Aboriginal people, community residents and University students. Diversity's mandate is to develop nutritious, fairly-priced and ethnically diverse food options with focus on locally sourced foods, organic ingredients, and a commitment to fair-trade and environmentally sustainable practices.