• Institutions Play a Role
• Students Play a Role

Institutions Play a Role

Cafeterias are on every campus. In fact, a campus is a mini food system which means universities and colleges can drive change in the greater food system. So far, some campuses have:

• leveraged their purchasing power to support more local and sustainable food sources;
• launched student-run gardens and on-campus farms (some have become suppliers to cafeterias);
• launched student-run gardens and on-campus farms from which some food served on campus is being purchased;
• introduced campus farmers’ markets; 
• shifted to more socially-just purchasing such as fair trade products;
• diversified their menus by offering more scratch-cooking and plant-based meals; and
• started committees to discuss and pilot projects to tackle student food insecurity.

Students are stepping up and asking their campuses for good food. Food that is socially just, sustainable, healthy, and accessible for all. As a result, campuses are gaining a better understanding of the link between a healthy diet and a student’s ability to learn, as well as the impact on the environment and the local economy. 

Students Play a Role

While students want access to healthy, affordable, and accessible food options on campus, many of those students are also concerned about sustainability and social justice. They are advocating for new policies, leading on-campus food initiatives, and bringing partners to the table.

Digging in!

Universities and Colleges are Changing their Food Systems

Farm to School: Canada Digs In!

Farm to School: Canada Digs In! is a multi-year chronic disease prevention initiative that is helping to get healthy local foods to students. Ten campuses across five provinces have participated. One of the activities of Canada Digs In! was the launch of the Good Food Challenge, led by Meal Exchange Canada, a key partner of Canada Digs In!

Students and staff from the following universities and colleges participated in the Farm to School: Canada Digs In! initiative between 2017 and 2019. Click on the links to read their stories.  

• University of British Columbia 
• University of Victoria
• McGill University
• University of Waterloo – St Jerome’s
• Lakehead University
• Humber College
• Ryerson University 
• University of Toronto 

Good Food Challenge

This on-campus campaign empowers students to work with their university or college to provide food that is Accessible, Community-based, Ecologically Sound, Socially Just, and Humane. To track their campus’ progress, institutions use the Good Food Calculator. 

As part of the Challenge, campuses sign the Good Food Campus Commitment to show leadership and innovation in the food system and accountability to the well-being of their student community. By signing the commitment, they agree to increase their procurement of Good Food to 20% by 2025 and make Good Food more affordable and accessible for all students.

To learn how Meal Exchange defines and identifies Good Food, check out the Good Food Guide.

The Good Food Wheel below shows the relationship between different components and stakeholders in food systems.

Want to know how campuses can change food systems? Read this fact sheet. (Cette resource est disponible en anglais seulement)

Case Studies

The following campus case studies highlight two Farm to Campus experiences as part of Farm to School Canada Digs In!: 

Read more Farm to Campus Stories

You can read more stories about Farm to Campus OR use the Search function in the top right corner of our website. Stories that mention “University” or “Campus” will appear in the chronological order they were posted.

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