I'm helping organize a conference at the end of
September at Tufts University on how dining services managers on college
campuses can make more environmentally informed and
responsible decisions, relating both to food and to energy use.We will be
discussing the purchasing of locally grown and organic produce, as well
as energy use (dining services are a major player in campus energy use).
I am especially interested in locating people who have performed energy
audits in dining services and have statistics showing the benefits and
difficulties of such audits.
I am also trying to find someone who is knowledgeable about the energy
tradoffs of foods prepared or processed in different ways. For instance,
if beans are shipped in cans vs. shipped dry and reconstituted in the
kitchens on campus, what are the specific costs of transportation
(affected by weight), canning, water use, etc?
If you have any information, I would very much appreciate a response!
Susan Altman, Master's Candidate
Department of Urban and Environmental Policy
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155