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WHAT'S THE REAL FOOD CHALLENGE?

The Real Food Challenge is a national student-led campaign to shift $1 billion

of college and university spending to “Real Food,” (defined as local, ecologically sound, fair trade, and humane) with the goal of 20% or more “Real Food”

nationally by 2020.

  • Production, processing, and distribution within 250 miles of Middlebury

  • Independent business owners have full decision-making autonomy

  • Privately-held, co-operative businesses preferred

 

 

  • Growing methods minimize harm to ecosystem and use few, if any, chemical inputs

  • Certifications considered proof of sustainable growing practices include USDA Organic, Bird Friendly coffee, and Marine Stewardship Council

  • Producer provides socially responsible working conditions for employees

  • Stipulations include:

    • Living wage

    • Right to benefits

    • Equal pay for equal work

    • Freedom of association

  • Producers ensure that animals are healthy and able to behave naturally

  • Animals have ample space, shelter and gentle handling to limit stress.

  • Ample fresh water and a healthy diet of quality feed, without added antibiotics or hormones

REAL FOOD AT MIDDLEBURY

In January 2014, four students conducted the first sustainability audit of our dining halls' purchases. Seeking to estimate what percent of Dining Services' budget was allocated to food that qualified as "real," we combed through stacks of invoices from three different months: July 2012, October 2012, and March 2013. Together, the data spanned the major growing seasons in New England, providing a representative estimate of our real food percentage. Because no realistic long-term planning can occur without sufficient preliminary data, these audits—which continued through the summer of 2014—have laid a critical foundation from which to charter Middlebury’s sustainable food future.

22% of Middlebury's dining hall budget is spent on "real" food 

Of that 22% ... 

83% is local

78% is fair

27% is ecologically sound

8% is humane

WHAT ABOUT THE REST?

Our current real food percentage puts Middlebury towards the forefront of socially and environmentally responsible food sourcing on college campuses.

 

While this is laudable and a testament to our innovative Dining Services staff, our work is far from over. Due to budgeting constraints, many of the producers from whom we source our food deny their workers rights, employ environmentally degrading practices, and treat their animals poorly. 

 

This fall, a group of students, staff, and administrators are collaborating to write an official proposal for Middlebury's sustainable food future. At the time of this writing, we hope to secure commitments from both President Ron Liebowitz and the Board of  Trustees to  50% real food by 2020. Extending Middlebury's environmental values to the food served in its dining halls, this commitment would establish the College as a model for sustainable food sourcing. Furthermore, our commitment would ripple outwards to Addison County as well as other institutions and campuses across the world.

 

Join us in envisioning, creating, and ensuring a food future at Middlebury that insists on social and environmental justice for all.

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