The Real Food Campus Commitment

 
By signing the Real Food Campus Commitment, colleges and universities pledge to buy 20% real food by 2020 and thereby use their tremendous purchasing power to support a healthy food system that strengthens local economies, respects human rights, ensures ecological sustainability, and facilitates community involvement and education.
 

Why make a commitment?

Despite a growing interest in local, organic and sustainable food on campuses, little consensus exists on what makes food truly “good” and too little substantive coordination occurs between schools and industry players. The Commitment will eliminate the need to “go it alone” and instead knit together these separate efforts into a supportive, productive network.
 
Just as the President’s Climate Commitment enabled colleges and universities to formally codify their dedication to mitigating global climate change through a nationally recognized pledge, the Real Food Campus Commitment will support signatory schools, connect them with potential partners in their region, and bring national attention to the great strides they make.
 
 
The Commitment • Commitment Toolbox • Endorsers
 
 
THE COMMITMENT
 

 
(1) The Commitment Text
  • Signing this 1-page pledge commits your school’s administrators to formally prioritizing real food.
  • This includes: increasing procurement of real food, increasing institutional transparency and increasing student and community engagement.
 
Signatories of the Campus Commitment pledge to:
 

>>Take the following steps in pursuit of real food on campus:

>>Undertake the following tasks:

 

>> Download the full document HERE!

 
 
COMMITMENT TOOLBOX
 
 
 
(2) The Case for the Real Food Campus Commitment
  • The top reasons why your college administrators and food service providers should sign the Commitment. Download it here.

 (3) Best Practices for Campus Food Systems

  • Model policy provisions that will help you design the specifics of your school’s real food policy.
  • Download here!

(4) Multi-Year Action Plan Template

  • A guide to help you take your goals and completed real food policy and translate them into a real plan.
  • Download here!

(5) Annual Progress Report Template

  • A guide to help you report on your progress toward your real food goals.
  • Download here!

(6) Food Systems Working Groups: Process and Structure Template (coming soon!)

 

 
COMMITMENT ENDORSERS
 
Leaders from across the real food, fair trade, labor justice, and environmental movements have endorsed the Real Food Campus Commitment and declared their belief that all schools should formally commit to real food. See what they have to say!
 
“The GET REAL! Campaign is a brilliant and long overdue effort. Count us in!” - Oran Hesterman
 
"There's a lot of talk about getting real food on college campuses – it's time that schools start backing up their talk with specific commitments to take action and begin moving their purchasing dollars." - Yoni Landau

 

Endorsers as of 12/15/2011:

  • California Climate and Agriculture Network
  • Community Alliance for Global Justice
  • Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFed)
  • CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
  • Equal Exchange
  • Fair Food Network
  • Green America
  • Greenhorns
  • Humane Society of the United States
  • Johnson County Local Food Alliance (Iowa City, IA)
  • Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG)
  • Northwest Agriculture Business Center
  • Red Tomato
  • Roots of Change 
  • Sierra Student Coalition
  • Student/Farmworker Alliance 
  • UNITE Here! 
 
Want your organization to endorse the Commitment? Download the endorsement document and send the completed form to commitment@realfoodchallenge.org or 30 Bow St., Cambridge, MA 02138.