30% of all the food produced in America goes to waste, with 13% of that total from higher education dining halls.
At Pitt we strive to build food systems that minimizes waste, strengthens our local communities, and supports a healthy body and planet by investing in sustainable sourcing, mindful dietary practices, and innovative waste solutions.
Real Food Challenge
The Real Food Challenge is a purchasing commitment to source food that meets at least one of the following categories:
- Local and community based economies
- Valued workforce
- Environmental sustainability
- Animal Welfare
- Community health and nutrition
When Pitt started participating in the Real Food Challenge in 2015, only 9% of food met the qualifications. In 2018, that grew to 20% and the Pitt Eats team is dedicated to continually increasing that amount.
A team of interns help document our progress on Real Food annually and can be viewed on our Sustainability Dashboard.
View Pitt's Food Systems Dashboard
CoolFood Pledge
In 2019, the University of Pittsburgh was among the first signatories — and one of the first universities worldwide — to join in the CoolFood Pledge, a global initiative led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to cut food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
Learn more about CoolFood Pledge
Food Recovery Heroes
Food Recovery Heroes is the University of Pittsburgh’s student chapter of the national Food Recovery Network. The Food Recovery Network unites students at colleges and universities to fight food waste and hunger by recovering surplus food from campus dining halls and donating it to local hunger-fighting agencies.
