Background Information

Brighton University has committed to reducing their levels of food waste and buying their produce from local farmers and maintaining a sustainable food policy as part of the 'c-change' campaign with the Environmental Team. The menus in restaurants focus on using seasonal produce that, where possible, is grown in the UK and always locally grown when in season. In 2005 the University was also awarded Fairtrade Status for using Fairtrade products and ingredients when available and raise awareness for Fairtrade in promotions. Supporting local suppliers is also a key aim to provide the fresh ingredients. From early 2013 the only milk used within the university is organic and all of the eggs are free range, eventually receiving the Good Egg award and being recognised by the Vegetarian Society. Another step towards environmental citizenship is the universities aims to reduce the consumption of meat and dairy by providing a large variety of healthy vegetarian and vegan meals. Since January 2012 the university has also switched to only using and buying fish that is approved by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and were awarded accreditation in January 2014. Other ways the university aims to achieve food environmental citizenship are: - Making sure they don’t over produce food, - Monitoring the waste left to alter portion sizes and menus, - Buying vegetables ready prepared which creates less waste as the vegetable trimmings are used by the farmer for compost, - Food waste is sent for anaerobic digestion (vegetable trimmings and plate waste), - Food waste awareness campaign amongst students and staff,

Contribution to Environmental Citizenship

The University of Brighton contributes to environmental citizenship by sourcing local food and creating their environmentally sustainable C-Change programme in a weak anthropocentric manner. A key part of environmental citizenship is sustainability, this is done socially and economically by sourcing products locally to support smaller businesses and UK farmers and environmentally by focuses dishes on seasonality which prevents the need for importing from hotter climates and reduces the need for heavy pesticides, the kitchen team are also promoting vegan and vegetarian diets which can significantly reduce an individuals ecological footprint as the dairy and meat industry uses large amounts of energy, water, land and food. By making sure all of the fish is approved by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) this also acts towards a weak anthropocentric environmental citizenship movement by realising that humans have a responsibility to make sure the environment and any resources taken from the environment are sustainable.

Contact Details

Address: University of Brighton, Mithras House, Lewes Road, Brighton BN2 4AT

Websites: https://eat.brighton.ac.uk/ethics/lovefoodhatewaste https://eat.brighton.ac.uk/Ethics/policies