ui sustainable food systems project

1. UI Sustainable Food Systems Project September 20th Meeting Leah Wilson

2. UI Sustainable Food Systems Project This project was funded in part by a grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Marketing and Food Systems Initiative and receives additional support from: The Johnson County Local Food Alliance Iowa Valley RC&D ICASH (Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health) Organic Greens Kalona Organics IMU Catering Applecart Orchard HIM Hearth �n� Home Cooking and Catering

3. UI Sustainable Food SystemsProject Goal Promote Sustainability

4. Project Objectives Objective 1: Convene, for a total of 5 meetings, a diverse working group consisting of at least 20 total key university members, farmer networks and supporting organizations who agree to assess and improve the University of Iowa food system in the key areas of a) Human Health and Well Being, b) Ecological Health and c) Regional Prosperity. Objective 2: Draft a five-year strategic plan and a preliminary set of indicators for the university that would take measurable steps toward improving sustainability of the UI food system in the key areas of a) Human Health and Well Being, b) Ecological c) Health and Regional Prosperity. Objective 3: Sustain the work. Actively strategize about actualizing the goals in the strategic plan with the working group and include those strategies in the five-year plan

5. Progress Report We have a webpage under construction at:� www.jclfa.org We have drafted a preliminary list of UI Sustainable Food Values and UI Sustainable Food System Indicators Two graduate student papers have been completed.� The first is a GIS project which maps food sources at UI.� The second examines food purchasing policy at UI and other institutions� We are seeking support from President Mason and others� Undergraduate students have drafted a survey for UI students that will be used to determine student awareness of sustainable food issues and demand for sustainable food on campus� We are currently pursuing funding to sustain this project�

6. Preliminary List of Sustainable Food System Values � Sustainability:� Although constituency groups tended to focus more on different aspects of sustainability (i.e. food service staff focused on quality, convenience, and economy of food, whereas students were more interested in environmental and social aspects of sustainability) both groups discussed the need for sustainability in general, and both groups indicated the desire to include more local, sustainable food products when feasible Education:� This is the value that is the most strongly articulated by students, staff and others.� Both meeting groups discussed various facets of effective education about healthy food Celebration:� Both meeting groups discussed the value of events and celebrations to spotlight sustainable, local food and to engage eaters Accessibility:� Both groups discussed the importance of making high quality, affordable, convenient, healthy food accessible to all students on campus Coordination and Collaboration:� Both groups highlighted the need for strong coordination of these efforts through the formation of a group or educational center. Both emphasized collaboration with other groups Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft derived from May meetings where one group was mostly students and the other was mostly otherDraft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft Derived from May meetings, where one group was mostly students and the other non-students (to accommodate schedules) Draft derived from May meetings where one group was mostly students and the other was mostly other

7. Preliminary List of Indicators Nutritious content of foods served Price of nutritious meals Total revenue of food outlets Customer satisfaction with nutritious meals Calculation of food miles for items/meals served Percentage of food sourced from Johnson and contiguous counties Consumer awareness of sustainable food issues Availability of vegetarian, vegan, allergen-free and culturally appropriate meal options Level of student employment in the system Percentage of pre-consumer food waste Percentage of post-consumer food waste Percentage of total food waste recycled or composted Percentage of non-food pre-consumer non-food waste Percentage of non-food pre-consumer waste recycled or composted Percentage of gray-water re-used on campus

8. Fall Goals September-October: Complete First Draft of Strategic Plan Present to UI and Garner Feedback November-December: Revise Draft of Strategic Plan Present Strategic Plan to Public and Garner Feedback Revise, Create Final Draft Announce Ongoing: Pursue Resources for Implementation

9. Strategic PlanElements Vision Statement and/or Mission Current Assessment Emphasis on ongoing assessment List of Guiding Values Goals Strategies Evaluation Process Sustainability Indicators Note that opportunities will be provided outside of the meeting setting to garner input on each of these elements.Note that opportunities will be provided outside of the meeting setting to garner input on each of these elements.

10. Priming the Pump

11. Factor 10 The Factor 10 Approach to Sustainability Factor-10 was developed by Frederich Schmidt-Bleek in 1991 as a tool to move from a high-waste economy to a low-waste economy by increasing eco-efficiency by a factor of 10. Key features: Reduce waste at every point in the system Account for externalities Build social capital Implement quantifiable environmental policy Use ecological benchmarks and sustainability indicators

12. Visioning a System � Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing the �structures� that underlie complex situations, and for discerning high- from low-leverage change. That is, by seeing wholes we learn how to foster health.� � Peter Senge The Fifth Discipline, 1994

13. Food System Components Data gleaned from Food System Sustainability at the University of Iowa A joint project by students in Urban Environmental Planning and Politics (102:242) Tokey Boswell Jennifer Jordan Dylan Mullenix Joe Pospisil Varsha Sehgal Leah Wilson Data gleaned from Food System Sustainability at the University of Iowa A joint project by students in Urban Environmental Planning and Politics (102:242) Tokey Boswell Jennifer Jordan Dylan Mullenix Joe Pospisil Varsha Sehgal Leah Wilson

14. More meaningfulMore meaningful

15. On Vision �Guido the plumber and Michelangelo obtained their marble from the same quarry, but what each saw in the marble made the difference between a nobleman�s sink and a brilliant sculpture.� --Bob Kall But you can�t wash your hands in a sculpture. We need excellence in form and function.But you can�t wash your hands in a sculpture. We need excellence in form and function.

16. Sustainable Food Values Sustainability Education and Experiential Learning Celebration Accessibility Coordination & Collaboration Transparency Equity Responsible Consumerism Connection to Land and Community

17. Vision and missionThe dream and the desk Imagine that the food system for the University has substantially changed so that it promotes health and wellbeing, ecological health and regional prosperity. In effect, it has become integral to a newly diversified and ecologically sustainable Iowa farming economy. Describe the vision Describe the mission realizes it Pass out worksheet, explain transition from current project goal to new project goalPass out worksheet, explain transition from current project goal to new project goal

18. A systems approach to goal-setting Production Buy from farms who are as close to home as possible Buy from farms who use environmentally sound practices Processing Purchase minimally processed foods from local or regional processors whenever possible Buy from companies using green technologies and environmentally sensitive packaging Distribution Encourage distribution companies to source local, sustainable food Support farmer cooperatives and local distribution networks whenever possible Retail outlets (consumption) Promote food choices that lead to healthy eating Reduce packaging and food waste in dining halls Waste stream Encourage re-use of plant waste as a food source for livestock Strengthen composting initiative

19. Value Goals Strategies Indicators Imagine that the food system for the University has substantially changed so that it promotes health and wellbeing, ecological health and regional prosperity. In effect, it has become integral to a newly diversified and ecologically sustainable Iowa farming economy. Further, people trace the positive changes to the effort that you are now beginning to launch. You have been asked to look back and explain a few of the key changes in practice and outlook that made the project a success. What were they?

20. Value: Celebration How do we define this value? What goals might we set to live this value? What strategies might help us reach our goals? What indicators might help us measure our progress? Worksheet 2Worksheet 2

21. Contact: Leah Wilson 621-3009 leah.wilson@jclfa.org or wilson.leah.m@gmail.com