To Curb Carbon Footprint Sodexo To Make Close to 50% Of Students’ Meals Plant-Based In U.S. Campuses

Sodexo, a catering and food facility management firm based in North America with a presence in over 56 countries serves 100 million consumers daily. Sodexo has added a new initiative to an ongoing collaboration with Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

HSUS and Sodexo have been in partnership for 15 years in a bid to foster a humane supply chain by developing responsible resourcing strategies. This partnership will now see HSUS share its resources and technical knowledge to make dining halls in universities more sustainable. HSUS will do this by sharing recipes, menus, nutritional advice and culinary training.

Plant-Based Meals For The Students

The initiative will see Sodexo offering more plant-forward meals at university campuses across the United State. It also aligns with Sodexo’s goal to reduce their carbon emissions by 34% by 2025.

By Sodexo’s own admission, an internal analysis revealed that over 70% of their U.S. supply carbon footprint was related to animal foods.

Many studies have been showing time and again that a plant-based diet is the most sustainable for the health of the planet. The farming of animals for food is extremely resource-intensive needing more land and water and also emits the most amount of greenhouse gases of any industry on earth.

A recent survey done by INNOVA Health & Nutrition showed that 23% of 18 to 25-year-olds identify as vegetarian or vegan. Keeping this in mind, Sodexo has vowed to have at least 42% of its campus offerings plant-based by 2025.

An initiative that is in progress, called ‘Plant-Based Takeovers’ will see Sodexo chefs undergoing training for menus planned by HSUS.

Karla Dumas, RDN, director of foodservice innovation for the Humane Society of the United States said, "any sustainability plan that’s meant to create real change—and not just be greenwashing jargon—will center on shifting from a meat-heavy menu to one that’s focused on plant-based entrées. I’m thankful to Sodexo for being a leader in the industry by committing to the tangible changes required to meet greenhouse gas emission goals. By developing a plant-based initiative that includes menu goals, recipe innovation and customer satisfaction, Sodexo has found a formula for success.”

"It’s important for us to receive feedback directly from the customer as it helps us identify which plant-based dishes will become permanent fixtures on our menus," explained Chef Jennifer DiFrancesco, director of culinary innovation for Sodexo Campus.