Food Systems
Download the Food Systems section of the 2007 UCSC Campus Sustainability Assessment here.
Nationally and globally, human food systems represent a substantial impact on soil, water, and biodiversity. The ways humans interact with nutrient and water cycles, local ecosystems, and global climate to procure daily bread together comprises one of the greatest impacts on the earth’s carrying capacity. These various food systems frequently have direct, negative impacts on human health through air pollution, compromised drinking water, and exposure to pesticides and other chemicals. Agriculture also supplies more jobs than any other economic sector globally, and UCSC is located at the edge of one of the richest agricultural regions in the world.
One subtle challenge of the food system is the way it distances “eaters” from the social and environmental impacts of production, largely by bringing food long distances at all times of the year. This now-pervasive trade in food can separate us from the underlying nature of food production by appearing to eliminate the seasonality of food. Food from local sources is by definition “in season” and more likely to connect us to the local bioregion. Shorter distances also mean less fossil-fuel consumption for food transport.
UCSC is a leader in sustainable agriculture research and training and the Farm-to-College movement. UCSC Dining Services is pioneering the design of sustainable campus food service programs, purchasing local, organic food, and consistently working to green campus operations. The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS), founded in 1967, operates a 25-acre organic farm and two-acre Chadwick Garden and serves as a center for training, research, and education. The campus Food Systems Working Group (FSWG), including students, staff, faculty, farmers, and community members, works to bring sustainable food to campus and to educate the community throughout the year. Numerous organizations and innovative educational programs, such as the Program in Community and Agroecology, the Kresge Food Cooperative, and Students for Organic Solutions, connect the campus farm, gardens, dining halls, and the community, providing a broad range of opportunities for learning about sustainable food systems. While there have been great advances in the “greening” of UCSC’s food systems, there are still many areas in which improvements are encouraged. Achieving true sustainability is a new frontier and, at this time, sustainability must be considered an ongoing journey and evolving process.
Summary of Activities and Performance
• Colleges and University Housing Services (CUHS) manages the five residential dining halls, catering, the University Center restaurant, Terra Fresca, and several of the campus cafés and coffee carts, including Oakes Café, Kresge Owl’s Nest, Banana Joe’s, and Perk Coffee Carts (including three Perks and one Perk Express).
• UCSC dining has been offering a wide range of vegetarian, vegan, organic, and healthy options since the early 1970s.
• In part because of a concerted student effort, UC Santa Cruz transitioned from having a contracted food service provider to an in-house operation in 2004-2005.
• Due to UCSC’s leadership in food services sustainability, Dining Services staff have been mentoring and consulting other Universities through a webcast (titled Academic Impressions: Sustainability & Dining), conference presentations, and site visits.
• The innovative local-sourcing of produce from small, organic farming operations with commitments to social responsibility provided over 13% of produce served by dining services in 2006-2007.
• About a quarter of the produce served on campus is third-party certified organic – 23.8% in 2006-2007, 26.3% so far in 2007-2008. Approximately half of this produce was from local farmers, though the exact figures are unknown.
• The University Center’s restaurant, Terra Fresca, features a wide range of environmentally preferable and healthy food options, including organic produce, antibiotic-free and hormone-free meat, seafood that meets the criteria of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, and organic, fair-trade coffee from the Community Agroecology Network (CAN), a campus group.
• UCSC has a wide range of academic and cocurricular programs focused on food systems and numerous other supporting courses on related topics.
• The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) is dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the world's food and agriculture system. The Center, a unit within the Division of Social Sciences, manages 28 organic acres of productive campus land that supports a 120-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for campus and community members, as well as direct production and delivery to campus food services to supply students with fresh and sustainable food options. (See the Co-Curricular Activities section for more information on CASFS.)
• There are many student programs focused on food systems such as:
• Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA) which provides a two-unit discussion class, as well as informal and structured gardening, cooking, and learning activities.
• The Kresge Food Cooperative is a cooperatively owned and run food outlet on campus that sells produce and bulk goods, and specializes in sustainable and organic goods.
For more information on sustainable food systems at UCSC: