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We work with students and staff at colleges and universities to create a more equitable food system by putting healthy and sustainable food at the heart of campuses across the UK.
Sustainable food is food that is produced, processed, distributed and disposed of in ways that avoid damaging or wasting natural resources and do not contribute to climate change or the nature crisis, but do contribute to thriving local economies and provide everyone with safe and healthy food that is full of nutrients.
Take a look at our sustainable food guide. It outlines 8 key actions institutions can take, and 15 actions students can take, with links to numerous resources and additional information for each action.
Supporting institutions to embed sustainable food and food growing on their campuses
Food, and how we produce, package, distribute and waste it, accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of the pressures on biodiversity. Sustainable food and food growing initiatives can provide exciting opportunities to positively impact both the climate and nature, whilst also being good for the health and wellbeing of students.
Join our Sustainable Food and Growing support network to help embed sustainable food and food growing at your institution. Get more information and sign up!
Our Sustainable Food and Growing support network supports staff and students to collaboratively agree and achieve ambitious targets, link up different food and growing projects on campus, learn and be inspired by other institutions, and provide opportunities to have news items and best practice showcased.
This programme benefits from being run in partnership between the students’ union and the institution, but it can also be run by either alone.
Sign up or contact us with any queries.
From co-ops selling local fruit and vegetables to zero waste shops selling dried wholefoods and pay-as-you-feel cafes using up food surplus, we have been working with universities and colleges across the UK to bring social enterprise ideas to life. These enterprises have changed their local food systems and encouraged students and staff to choose ethical, healthy and affordable food.
"Students grow in confidence weekly and are very proud of what they produce as the have control over it literally from seed to plate." West College Scotland, Come Dine With Us
Setting up a sustainable food enterprise is good for you, good for your institution, good for your community:
Fresh affordable food for students, staff and members of the public.
Provides real-life experience of setting up and running a business.
An opportunity to see your ideas come to life.
Enhances employability skills – leadership, teamwork, planning etc.
A great way for emerging student enterprises and societies to market their products.
Potential income generation for your students’ union or society.
A chance to raise awareness about the importance of buying sustainable food.
Supports the local economy and community partnerships.
Interested in starting a sustainable food enterprise? Have a look at our enterprise resources and learn more about setting up a grow to sell, preserve to sell or cook to sell social enterprise. For more details and support, check out our training session to establish a social enterprise via the learning academy.
We support farmers on university and college land to transition to nature friendly farming, for more information see Farming for Carbon and Nature programme.
How Farming Can Cool The Planet is a collaborative project helping to find a united voice on food, farming, and the climate and nature crises.
Growing
Growing calendar
Food growing guide
Enterprise
Start a Social Enterprise
Grow to Sell
Preserve to Sell
Cook to Sell
University Farmers' Market Handbook
Marketing Guide
Everything else...
Sustainable Food Guide
Why Banning Beef is Not the Answer
Getting sustainable food on your campus
15 ways students can eat more sustainably
Join our Sustainable Food and Growing support network 2023/24, get more information and sign up! If you would like more in depth support in any area, for example to create a sustainable food policy or set up a new growing site, a consultancy service is also available. Please email us to discuss this option.
You can also explore our training sessions to set up a social enterprise via the Learning Academy.
Sign up to our Food & Farming newsletter to get the latest updates and email us at foodandfarming@sos-uk.org if you have any questions.
Are you looking to eat more sustainably but are not sure where to start? This checklist gives you a personal head-start to your journey eating sustainably for the climate and for your health and wellbeing! Check out the many resources linked and our Sustainable Food Guide for more information on how you can bring sustainable food to your university campus.
