Food
Nourishing the community starts in our kitchens. Healthy, economically viable, and flavorful food sustains Penn. Practices that respect farmers, workers, and animals enhance our culinary endeavors.
Food
Nourishing the community starts in our kitchens. Healthy, economically viable, and flavorful food sustains Penn. Practices that respect farmers, workers, and animals enhance our culinary endeavors.
Local food has a profound impact on health, community, and culinary enjoyment. A sustainable future through food comes from Penn Dining’s commitments, including our partnership with Bon Appétit Management Company. The campus is dedicated to plant-forward ingredients and is in support of environmentally friendly and humane farming methods.
Sustainability is the backbone of Penn’s menu: It shows up in the locally-sourced ingredients, our kitchen principles, and waste reduction practices. Our actions to reduce food waste and environmental impact and support fair food systems have earned Penn the second-highest score in the Association for Sustainability in Higher Education’s STARS Food & Dining subcategory!
Our Progress
Programs
Quaker Kitchen
In the Gutmann College House’s café, Quaker Kitchen is serving home-away-from-home-cooked meals while acting as a teaching hub for food sustainability. It’s here, thanks to a collaborative relationship with Penn Park Farm, Penn Dining chefs can alleviate food insecurity on campus by prepping the Good Food Bag.
Green2Go
Penn Dining’s signature program, Green2Go, reduces disposable food materials from residential dining cafés. This program singlehandedly saves 171,000 clamshells from landfills annually. Anyone who eats in our residential campus cafes is welcome to use the Green2Go Program.
Catering@Penn
Searching for sustainable caterers just got easier. Penn’s Procurement Services and Penn Sustainability came together to develop Catering@Penn, a system allowing customers to search for diverse providers based on their catering needs and sustainability preferences.
University Square Farmers Market
Neighbors, students, and community members come together every Wednesday at 36th and Walnut Streets. In collaboration with Farm to City, the University Square Farmers Market hosts an opportunity to buy fresh, regional food and goods from local farmers and merchants. Penn Cash, FMNP Vouchers, and Dining Dollars are accepted.
Penn Farm
Our first and only on-campus farm, the Penn Farm, is a unique, multidisciplinary initiative that engages stakeholders from across the Penn community. It centers around four pillars: wellness, food access, sustainability, and education. Originating through the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative (PFWC), the farm is a programming hub offering opportunities and access to the Penn community.
Green2Go
In Penn's dining cafes, our Green2Go reusable boxes are offered to make dining more sustainable.
Resources
Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 (CSAP 4.0) FY25-29
Penn's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan with information on actions to achieve the University's goals for FY2025 to 2029.
Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 (CSAP 3.0) FY20-24 Summary Report
2023FY Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP3.0) Annual Report
Progress on Penn's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan strategies during FY2023.
Partners
Discover the partners, programs, and people who nourish our campus and community with sustainable meals, intentional food sourcing, and equitable kitchen principles.
“Sustainability is a core value of both Penn Dining and Bon Appetit, our food service provider. It is reflected in the percentage of our ingredients which are locally sourced, in our recipes which promote plant-based options, and in our kitchen principles that support the campus’ waste reduction goals.”
