Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
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Part 1: Sustainable Dining Initiatives 

Sustainable Dining Policy

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
Yes, we have a published sustainability dining policy, covered in detail at: http://furman.cafebonappetit.com/ Farm to Fork is a companywide initiative to buy locally, formalized in 1999. Our first choice is to purchase seasonal ingredients from small, owner-operated farms and ranches within a 150-mile radius of your café. Food grown locally is fresher, better tasting, and often has greater nutritional value. Our commitment to local food is about preserving biodiversity, protecting open space, supporting family farmers, and keeping money invested in your community. Bon Appétit aims to spend at least 20 cents of every dollar with our network of over a thousand Farm to Fork suppliers. By doing so, we aim to strengthen our regional food systems so that everyone in our communities can eat well not just today, but for the future. Some highlights: We are proud to be the first food service company to commit to: -Supporting local agriculture (with a defined purchasing target), since 1999 -Striving to serve only seafood that meets Seafood Watch® sustainability guidelines for commercial buyers, since 2002 -Reducing antibiotic use in farm animals (2003) -Serving rBGH-free milk (2003) -Switching to cage-free shell eggs (2005) and cage-free liquid eggs (2016) -Tackling food’s role in climate change (2007) -Addressing farmworkers’ rights (2009) -Switching to humanely raised ground beef (2012) -Phasing out pork raised with gestation crates (early 2016)

On-Campus Sourcing 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
Yes

A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
Bon Appetit purchases produce from the Furman Farm, accounting for about 8% of the produce served in the Dining Hall. The Furman Farm is about 1/4 acre, located on campus, and provides numerous student work and volunteer opportunities.

Local Community Engagement 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, and/or urban agriculture project, or support such a program in the local community?:
Yes

A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
As part of the Eat Local Challenge, Bon Appetit offered a Farmers Market on the Dining Hall Lakeside Patio in September.

Vegan Dining Program 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a vegan dining program that makes diverse, complete-protein vegan options available to every member of the campus community at every meal?:
Yes

A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Yes, we prioritize plant-based proteins in the dining hall and a complete protein vegan option is available to the campus community at every meal served in our dining hall. We communicate vegan options to our guests using the Vegan Circle of Responsibility icon, on both online menus and menus in the dining hall.

Low-Impact Dining Events 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
Yes

A brief description of the low impact dining events:
Yes, we host a number of low impact dining events, including Meatless Monday program and a Low Carbon Day. Low Carbon Footprint Day was a big event held here on campus. With the help of our student fellow, Celia Castellano, we had a menu that reflected a low carbon footprint including cheeseless pizza, no bananas or pineapples, a build a better burger station that showcased meatless burgers including a smoked sweet potato burger or a falafel burger with local goat milk yogurt tzatziki. We even held a cooking demonstration on how to use the whole vegetable by taking a head of broccoli and cooking the florets, turning the stalks into a soup and the leaves into a slaw.

Sustainability-Themed Meals 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
We host a number of sustainability-themed meals throughout the year, including an annual Eat Local Challenge with 100% local ingredients to create excitement around regional foodsheds and local agriculture. Eat Local Challenge is a once a year event that challenges each café in the company to produce at least one dish on the menu that is composed of all ingredients sourced from no further than 150 miles. This past challenge we were able to source locally grown tea. Another event we held for the eat local challenge this past year was a farmers market featuring all of our local purveyors. It gave the students the opportunity to meet the farmers and artisans that provide for them on a daily basis. Our past Apple Fest day featured Apples from one of our local farms, Chattooga Bell Farms. Which supplies the campus with all of our apples, apple cider as well as other delicious fruits including peaches and figs.

Sustainability-Themed Outlet 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a sustainability-themed food outlet on-site, either independently or in partnership with a contractor or retailer?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
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Labeling and Signage 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labeling and signage in dining halls?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
We inform guests about low impact food choices and sustainability practices in many ways. On guest tables and in signs around the cafe, we share information about pressing sustainability issues and relevant policies, including antibiotic use on animal farms, animal welfare issues, sustainable seafood, and farmworkers rights. Using our Circle of Responsibility (COR) program, we communicate sustainability attributes of ingredients through our online and in-café menus. Menus are labeled with COR icons that denote the following (and more): -if the dish includes local ingredients, and which farm they are from -if the dish includes animal products from a farm with a third-party animal welfare certification -if the dish includes seafood rated as Green or Yellow by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program -if the dish is vegetarian and/or vegan

Outreach and Education 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
Bon Appétit Management Company engages in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems in many ways. One example is through the Bon Appetit Fellowship program, where recent graduates from Bon Appetit campuses join the company for 1-2 years to learn about the food system, do outreach to connect Bon Appétit campus communities with where their food is coming from, and perform research to inform future purchasing policies and commitments as a company. Every month, Bon Appetit does two Food For Your Well Being pop up events. Food For Your Well Being is a way for Bon Appetit to educate our customers about eating more healthy and balanced meals. We cover topics ranging from portion control, sodium awareness to hydration. Students, faculty, and staff can stop by the tabled event and talk to a chef about the featured topic and learn about making healthy food choices.

Other Initiatives 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have other sustainability-related initiatives (e.g. health and wellness initiatives, making culturally diverse options available)?:
Yes

A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
During the course of the school year, Bon Appetit participates in a number of educational classes and lectures. The most prominent is working with the Philosophy Department. During the entire second semester, we worked with professor Sarah Worth and her philosophy of food class. Each week would be a discussion on how and why food affects and effects ourselves and society. Every week, we would create a cooking lab that would coincide with that week’s lecture. At the end of the semester, we had a cooking competition, much like “Chopped”, that was judged by the faculty and President Davis. For the last day, the students held a ticket only cooking event, that paired a food with one of the subjects learned during the semester. It was a huge success. Other activities we participated in where class tours and lectures with the Sociology Department and professor Scott Murr. Chefs would discuss Bon Appetit and why we do things a certain way. And then give a guided tour of the kitchen and dining hall discussing offerings from each station. We also conducted classes with the Physiology Department where we discussed Bon Appetit and the students were able to work in the kitchen. Learning everything from receiving and stocking goods, to washing dishes, prepping food and serving food during a service.

Part 2: Food and Dining Waste 

Food Recovery Program

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor participate in a competition or commitment program and/or use a food waste prevention system to track and improve its food management practices?:
Yes

A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
The Taste not Waste Campaign highlights food waste and creates a visual for students to assess their own practices. The Dining Hall keeps track of how much of each item of is consumed and over-time has developed a system that very closely predicts how much of each thing should be prepared at each meal so as to reduce waste.

Trayless Dining and Portion Modifications 

Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented trayless dining (in which trays are removed from or not available in dining halls) and/or modified menus/portions to reduce post-consumer food waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
We are trayless in our dining hall, and train all servers in portion control in order to minimize post-consumer food waste.

Food Donation 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
Yes

A brief description of the food donation program:
We donate leftover foods to the Loaves and Fishes program locally in Greenville.

Food Materials Diversion 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses (e.g. converting cooking oil to fuel, on-site anaerobic digestion)?:
No

A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
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Composting 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
Both the Dining Hall and the P-Den dining services compost all pre-consumer waste with the Furman Farm.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
Yes

A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Both the Dining Hall dining services compost all post-consumer waste with the Furman Farm.

Dine-In Service Ware 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
All service ware in the Dining Hall is washed and reused.

Take-Away Materials 

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor provide reusable and/or third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals (in conjunction with an on-site composting program)?:
Yes

A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
We utilized compostable containers for to go meals, and have a composting program on campus that is able to accept those containers.

Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
Yes

A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
-Yes, we offer the following incentives to customers who use reusable contains: 10% off coffee with the use of reusable mug.

Other Materials Management Initiatives 

Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented other materials management initiatives to minimize waste not covered above (e.g. working with vendors and other entities to reduce waste from food packaging)?:
Yes

A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
We reduce waste in our supply chain by purchasing through Bon Appétit’s Imperfectly Delicious Produce program – a program that was developed to create markets for cosmetically imperfect produce that would otherwise go to waste on farms and in processing.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://furman.cafebonappetit.com/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.