The menus at Rochester Institute of Technology have been transformed with a shift to plant-based food.
It's part of honoring a recently signed “Forward Food Pledge,” with the goal of making half the restaurant menu items plant-based by 2025.
RIT officials signed the pledge to shift away from animal products and lower the institution’s environmental footprint.
According to the Humane Society of the United States Vice President of Farm Animal Protection, Karla Dumas, it is that growing awareness of climate change — along with more and more students requesting vegan food — that paved the way for the university to make its plant-based commitment.
“The industry is showing that there is a demand across the board, but more so at the higher education side of it. We're seeing college-aged students and younger demanding more of these options,” Dumas said.
Over the course of three semesters, HSUS — which is spearheading the Forward Food Pledge campaign at institutions throughout the country — studied the food purchased by RIT, detailing the climate impact of those foods.
According to the study, animal products such as beef, chicken, turkey, and pork combined to equal 57% of the assessed emissions; plant-based foods, however, accounted for 13%.
“A shift toward plant-based foods is one of the most impactful ways that dining operations and food companies can reduce their carbon footprint,” Dumas said.
RIT’s Corporate Executive Chef Herlan Manurung said he wants students and faculty alike to have variety.
“Our goal is to provide diverse menus that meet dietary needs and preferences and become more sustainable,” Manurung said.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, total emissions from global livestock represent 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
