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Plant-Based Food Offerings for the AMS

University of British Columbia. Alma Mater Society; University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

The relationship between food and the environment has been steadily and increasingly endorsed in recent years, and it is at this junction where the potential for human intervention is substantial (Willett et al., 2019). The statement “feeding nine billion” is frequently included in discourse concerning future physical, environmental and social health, this statement aptly encompasses the importance of food in terms of sufficient nutrition, but also the immense demand for resources required to achieve this goal. There is already disparity in the health of the global population, with millions individuals lacking sufficient nutrition, and millions more affected by chronic diseases associated with overnutrition and poor diet, and it is likely that the current patterns of food consumption and production will not amend these obstacles, if left unchanged (Lindgren et al., 2018). Furthermore, the EAT Lancet Commission (2019) encompasses the importance of food within the context of climate change, stating, “Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability of Earth”. Despite a somewhat dismal outlook at the fate of the planet, this statement can inspire and encourage individuals to make changes, no matter how small, in efforts to live sustainably for environmental and health benefits. The overarching recommendation in order to positively modify the environmental impacts of food consumption and production require switching to primarily plant-based diets (Mertens et al, 2017; Shepon et al., 2018; Tilman & Clark, 2014). These dietary changes are said to promote the greatest improvement in population health but also the greatest reduction in the impact of diet upon resources. It is through these recommendations that food can be seen as a vehicle for change, thus supporting integration of more plant-based options into the Nest Catering menu. This partnership with Nest Catering will increase the prevalence and marketing of plant-based meal options, through which perceptions of those who use AMS catering services, can shift toward sustainable food options. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Report; Other

eng

2019-12-11

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/72688

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/