About

THE SITUATION:

• Our food system is broken. From food riots abroad, to rising rates of diabetes and obesity at home; from the carbon emitted by agriculture to the human rights abuses in the fields; it's clear our food system is in need of major change.
• Government and big business have failed to step up to the challenge, with business-as-usual prevailing over the health of our bodies, our communities, and the Earth.

WHAT WE CAN DO:

• Colleges and universities spend over $4 billion each year on food. This figure represents a significant portion of the national food system - one that young people can directly influence.
• Students are making a difference! There is a growing movement of college students working to address food issues on campus. At least 300 institutions already have college farms, fair trade initiatives, or farm-to-cafeteria programs, and the number is growing every day.
• If we act together we can amplify our voice and our power. Real change will come from the grassroots and students can lead the way.

WHO WE ARE:

The Real Food Challenge serves as both a campaign and a network. The campaign is to increase the procurement of real food on college and university campuses. By leveraging their purchasing power we can catalyze the transformation of the larger food system. The network offers a chance for students and their allies (those working on the campaign along with those who've yet to sign on) to make connections, learn from one another, and grow the movement.

WHAT RFC OFFERS:

1. Collective Goals and Framework

• The RFC aims to expand and amplify existing efforts with a unifying national campaign. The target is to redirect 20% of all food purchased by colleges and universities (currently 4 billion dollars) towards real food by 2020.
• The term "real food" represents a commitment to the multifaceted nature of this movement. Whether you are working on farmworkers' rights, advocating for more fair trade products, going organic, or forming relationships with local farmers, we all care about one thing: a just and sustainable food system. The Real Food Challenge aims to connect all these different parts.

2. Support and Training

• Organizing: Regional and local organizers support the network and facilitate skills-sharing, campaign planning, and collaboration between schools.
• Summits: Real Food Challenge organizers plan regional and local gatherings to build the movement through information sharing and networking.
• Trainings: The Challenge supports new campus and national leaders in the food movement through a variety of leadership development opportunities.

3. Resources

• The Network: This is perhaps the strongest resource that RFC has to offer. It provides access to hundreds of students and student-allies across the country who are already a part of the movement.
• Guides: The RFC is developing guides on how to establishing farm-to-cafeteria programs, college gardens, and real food campaigns on your campus.
• Materials: The Challenge offers a range of material resources (including posters, press releases and letters to university presidents) for campus use.
• Resources from other organizations: We are always updating an extensive list of resources from other sources that will be useful to you on campus.