Students and visitors at The University of Winnipeg are eating some of the best and most sustainable campus meals in North America, thanks to Diversity Food Services.
This week the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) released its 2017 Sustainable Campus Index, and for the third year in a row, UWinnipeg was in the top three schools in the Food & Dining Category. No other Canadian University or College made the top five list.
Diversity’s operations at UWinnipeg is ranked third (same position as 2016); the other top performers are in Washington, Vermont, Ohio and North Carolina.
Diversity Foods was created in 2009 as a joint venture between UWinnipeg’s Community Renewal Corporation (UWCRC) and SEED Winnipeg, with a mission to deliver sustainable, quality food on campus while providing meaningful employment for the community. It operates six food outlets at UWinnipeg in addition to campus and community catering. Diversity Foods has also expanded to become the food provider at Eagles Roost Café at Players Golf Course, and FortWhyte Alive, where it runs the Buffalo Stone Café.
AASHE describes sustainable food in this way: “Institutions can use their food purchases to support local economies, encourage environmentally friendly and humane farming methods, help eliminate unsafe working conditions and alleviate poverty for farm workers. These actions help reduce environmental impacts, preserve regional farmland, improve local food security and support fair and resilient food systems. Dining services can also support sustainable food systems by reducing food waste and diverting food materials from the waste stream, by making low impact dining options available and by educating customers about more sustainable options and practices.”
Read the full AASHE report.
Diversity Foods has received numerous awards and recognitions including:
- 2016 Highest scoring Canadian campus (3rd overall) dining facility of Universities and Colleges in North America audited by the international AASHE-STARS sustainability campus index
- 2015 Highest scoring Canadian campus (2nd overall) dining facility of Universities and Colleges in North America audited by the international AASHE-STARS sustainability campus index
- 2015 CIAO MAGAZINE Restaurant of the Year
- 2014 Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Service (LEAF) Level 2 certification
- 2014 Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Winnipeg Award – social enterprise
