Ghent University strives for a healthy, tasty, affordable and ecologically responsible food policy, with less meat and fish consumption. The planetary healt diet, proposed by the EAT-lancet commission on Food, Planet and Health, is the guideline.
Objectives
- By 2030, a protein shift from animal to vegetable proteins according to the ratio 40/60 in the restaurants, cafeteria and catering.
- Avoid food waste through good stock management and cooperation with organizations that work with food surpluses.
Achieved milestones
- Sustainability requirements in tender documents, such as
- for the food offered in the restaurants: vegetable soups, meat of European origin, rice with the fair trade label, etc.
- for the sandwiches for catering: at least 50% vegetarian options, no beef or lamb, fish with a sustainability label, etc.
- No beef on the menu.
- Collaboration with Let's Save Food, in which volunteers collect food surpluses in the restaurants De Brug and Coupure.
- Drinking fountains instead of water bottles in the beverage machines.
- Guidelines for catering for events, conferences, etc.
Actions 2025-2028
- Experiment with a sustainable buffet (mainly vegetable proteins, local and seasonal, leftovers used in soup, no disposable packaging) on the Coupure campus and roll it out further if successful.
- Sustainable catering at university-wide events.