Campus Dining and Shops (CDS) will show its pride as a prepared foods provider and retailer in New York - one of America's main agricultural centers - by bringing more locally produced food products on campus.
The new Local Food Program will begin this week, resulting in fresher foods and a more environmentally friendly approach to campus dining services.
"We try to support programs and companies that are here local," said Raymond Kohl, marketing manager for CDS. "People like knowing where their products are coming from."
The on-campus sale of agricultural products grown and processed in New York is an important sustainability initiative, according to UB Environmental Network Club President Emily Bauer.
Receiving food locally means decreasing the use of fossil fuels by ridding the need for shipping. Local and small-scale producers of food products also mind the effects on their environment and use organic and ecology benefiting methods of production, Bauer said.
After attending the first-ever Real Food Summit at Yale University, members came back to UB with the goal of bringing change to their own campus.
The UB Environmental Network has been working with CDS and pushing for "real foods" on campus since January when club members learned about the Real Food Challenge at the summit, according to Bauer.
"We came back to UB inspired to work to create a food system that recognizes our health needs, the needs of the local economy and the needs of the environment that our food comes from," Bauer said.
Many other colleges such as SUNY Potsdam, Stony Brook University and New York University, among others have embraced the challenge, according to the Real Food Challenge Web site.
CDS is bringing ingredients and foods from local producers including produce, syrups, sauces, cheese, honey, meats, pasta and baked goods available through Pride of New York, according to the organization's Web site. CDS has established a partnership with Pride of New York in order to implement the new program.
Pride of New York logos and signs will indicate certain foods that are locally grown or manufactured, according to a press release.
The UB Environmental Network will continue bringing environmentally friendly food initiatives to UB through CDS.
"We seek to continue our collaboration with CDS with our advocacy of sustainable and local food in our dining halls and shops," Bauer said.
Additional reporting by Kayla Yammarino, Staff Writer.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
