Table 2 Strategies outlined in Governance documents to support sustainable food systems

Strategies (n = universities)

FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION (n = 13)

Prevent food waste (n = 9)

Serve appropriate portion sizes to minimize waste

Give leftovers to participants to take home or share within the university or donate to charity

Store foods appropriately to maximize shelf life

At events, cater for correct numbers (i.e. RSVPs rather than estimates)

Implement strategies to reduce food waste

Work with retailers to reduce food waste

Engage food waste charities in community events on campus to increase student engagement in reducing food waste

Accommodate dietary requirements to avoid waste

Dispose of food waste in a sustainable manner (n = 13)

Food waste composting to increase by a total 30%

Cooking oil used on campus must be processed into biodiesel

Compost/use worm farms to dispose of food waste

Reduce food scraps in land-fill composting and collecting scraps for pig food

Food waste should be composted if rescue was not possible

Minimize packaging (n = 5)

Reduce bottled water by providing water filling stations and discouraging staff and students from single use plastic water bottles

The purchase, sale and distribution of single use plastic water bottles are not permitted in any university facility.

Offer an incentive/promote re-usable cups

Serve tap water not bottled water

Use reusable crockery

Choose foods with minimal packaging

Flavored beverages (except where no alternative exists) must be in non-plastic materials

Serve sugar, salt, and condiments in reusable dishes, rather than packet

Recycle packaging (n = 13)

Outlets and catering services must use reusable catering supplies and ensure compatible with the university recycling system

Increase practical options for recycling

Improve recycling facilities in dinging areas

Develop a policy for campus suppliers to reduce packaging and cease use of polystyrene

Work towards caterers using only recyclable food packaging that can be recycled onsite

Develop and monitor practices that will reduce waste to landfill and increase recycling

Use biodegradable and/or recyclable packaging products

General (n = 1)

Implement a comprehensive behavior change campaign to ensure staff and students use the systems in place to reduce waste

ETHICAL PROCUREMENT (n = 12)

Steering committees (n = 5)

Establish a fair-trade steering committee

Fair-Trade canteen consumables (n = 12)

Select fair-trade tea, coffee, and hot chocolate (when available)

Make (only) fair-trade products (tea, hot chocolate, coffee, chocolate, and nuts) available across all campus outlets/at staff events

Encourage the voluntary establishment of the ‘fair-trade kitchenette’. A representative staff member overseas and monitors staff response to transiting to fair-trade products in the office

Only work with companies that already support Fair-Trade

Embed Fair-Trade into catering policies

Work with campus suppliers to ensure Fair-trade is provided at all university events

University preferred suppliers will only provide Fair-trade canteen consumables

Make (only) Fair-trade Certified Products available at meetings and in office kitchens

Community Engagement (n = 8)

Regularly display promotional materials for fair-trade offerings (cafes/events/in newsletters/noticeboards)

Increase student engagement and support in fair-trade

Develop engagement strategy for increasing discussion of fair-trade issues within academia and bring together all relevant interested parties

Celebrate fair-trade fortnight on Campus

Fair-Trade accreditation (n = 4)

Achieve and/or sustain fair-trade status

Create a sustainable procurement policy that includes food (i.e. fair-trade)

Support fair-trade

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE FOOD CONSUMPTION (n = 8)

Seasonal, local, organic food (n = 5)

Use seasonal produce from local suppliers (list of fruit and vegetables provided for caterers)

Expand edible landscaping and promote the benefits of local food

Provide food grown on campus to food insecure students or to supply campus cafes

Increase the availability of locally sourced and sustainably produced foods on campus

Supply food produced by environmentally friendly production methods i.e. organic certified food

On-campus caterers use local and seasonal produce

Animal products (n = 5)

Provide vegetarian options

Minimize the use of meat, dairy and eggs

Sustainable seafood (n = 4)

Use sustainable seafood (i.e. sustainable fish stocks caught with methods that do not harm the environment)

Health and well-being (n = 3)

Provide foods that are healthy and promote well-being

General (n = 5)

Use the university approved sustainable catering services that adhere to the principals of sustainable catering

Introduce beehives as part of a biodiversity management plan

Support sustainable procurement including catering

Engage with all sectors of the community that drive sustainability e.g. provide grants for community gardens, hold a farmer’s market on campus for local seasonal food

Enhance efforts to interest the university community in sustainably produced foods

Use campus engagement initiatives e.g. support for a student led initiative to create a sustainable food system and calculate nitrogen release from food production

Promote sustainable initiatives at events/to consumers

Participate in research and include curriculum to address risks including climate change, energy demand, water scarcity, population growth, food security and ecosystem decline

Work towards integrating sustainability criteria into contracts including dining services

ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION (n = 2)

Caterers on campus agree to meet water conservation and energy efficiency standards

Use fresh, not frozen vegetables to reduce energy costs

Use energy efficient appliances for catering

Conserve water use during catering and clean-up (install water saving device, water efficient dishwashers) and benchmark progress