Community Needs Assessment 7 20 2017

CNA: Cal Poly Sustainability Spring 2017, FSN 416 Tabatabai, Santos, Peterson, Garcia
Community Needs Assessment: Addressing Sustainability Issues in Nutrition on Cal Poly
Campus
RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY: RILEY PETERSON, AGUSTIN GARCIA, SAMANTHA
SANTOS AND MARTA TABATABAI
ORGANIZATION: CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY
FSN 416
Introduction
As changes in U.S. administration create uncertainty in the future of environmental
regulations, public health and safety funding and the nutritional quality of our food sources, it is
now more important than ever to do what we can to protect the quality of the climate around us.
In addition to this, our communities are being plagued by preventable chronic disease such as
obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, all of which have been linked with nutrition and
lifestyle choices. Research has demonstrated that modifications of unhealthy behaviors, and
implementation of healthy diets with high intakes of fruit, vegetables and whole grains have been
effective in decreasing the risk and prevalence of chronic disease. However, it is not enough to
simply address the community with some media graphic depicting nutrition recommendations,
and explaining the effects of a wholesome diet on health; for the individual to make healthy
decisions, the tools needed to do so must be available, affordable and of high quality.
Due to the looming presence of big-business in policy, economies of scale that allow a
big-business to provide same product at a lower cost, and the important convenience factor,
among others, that many consumers take into consideration when purchasing food, food and
environmental sustainability has taken a heavy hit. Increased fuel use has resulted as growers
ship produce farther and farther. The need for a longer food preservation time has resulted in
further processing - increased energy use, increased water waste, increased plastic waste because
of food packaging and use of potentially health hazardous preservatives and pesticides.
Furthermore, research has shown that vitamin and mineral quality can deteriorate after
being harvested or when exposed to heat. As well as this produce, when traveling long distances,
must be picked significantly before optimum ripeness so that the fruits and vegetables have not
over ripened or spoiled once they have reached their destination. On top of all that, we are trying
to increase the number of farmers because it has been steadily decreasing since the 1930s
(Nestle, 2017); as shown in Figure 1 at bottom of introduction. Moreover, looking at jobs in
agriculture, which only make up 11% of total U.S. job market, most of the agricultural jobs are
in the food service, which means that more people are serving the food than producing it (Nestle,
2017); this seems unbalanced. Figure 2 is below showing the breakdown of U.S. Job market via
pie chart. We understand that agriculture and technology has advanced and produces more per
farmer than we have been, but to have such a small percentage of the population producing
essential food to sustain life seems absurd and striping the people of their power and connection
with food. There are many ways to produce food, ideal may be to produce enough for all today
while improving upon the processes of life for sustained harvests to come for subsequent
generations. What is even more unbalanced is the lack of diversity in our food system, being
that, in 2000, only 19 crops produced than 90% of global crop calories (Pradhan, F., Ludeke, M.
K., Reusser, D. E., & Kropp, J. P., 2014). Increased diversity and biomimicry can be helpful.
We believe that the combination of rising rates of chronic disease, low intake of fruits
and vegetables, and extreme distance that our produce travels due to lack of farms, can be
combatted by this solution; increased sustainability and education on sustainability. Due to the
open atmosphere of college campuses and opportunity to collect data easily, we feel as if
targeting the Cal Poly campus and its students would be an effective use of time and resources
and would provide the most efficient results. We know that there is a need for increased
sustainability measures within the United States. We also know the specific population we chose
may already have more advanced knowledge and interest in climate change, sustainability
practices, nutrition and nutrition quality. We hope that by addressing the gaps in Cal Poly
Campus Dining sustainability measures, and student education on these measures, we can
increase the sustainable actions of the campus; with Cal Poly, already advanced in regard to
sustainability, filling in gaps here may help transfer nationally. Within this Community Needs
Assessment, we aim to identify the current status of sustainability on Cal Poly campus, quantify
certain measures of sustainability such as percentage of local sourcing, numbers on food waste
and statistics on student knowledge, and distinguish the key influential factors that determine
food choice (on the institutional foodservice level, and the consumer level).
Figure 1. (Nestle, 2017)

Figure 2. (Nestle, 2017)
Methods
A variety of different methods were used within the CNA to gather data on the
sustainability of Cal Poly Campus. We conducted an internet search to identify several key
pieces of information needed to assess the need of our target population. We explored the policy
pertaining to agricultural sourcing for state universities. We also searched to find relevant
comparison schools to Cal Poly. We tried to find schools that met the following requirements:
similar student body population, similar sized campus, similar surrounding environment and
similar agricultural focus. Once we had schools identified, we used the schools website and
reported statistics on sustainability to compare to Cal Poly. We also used internet searching to
conduct a literature review on the effect of sustainability on nutritional quality, and the influence
it has on communities to increase fruit and vegetable intake.
In addition to internet data collection, we also reached out to key informants who could
supply us with key data. We met with Cal Poly campus dietitian Megan Coats, the Registered
Dietitian of Cal Poly, to record insightful information regarding the sourcing of products for
Campus Dining, as well as data on food waste and students attitudes. We also reached out to our
comparison colleges via email and phone to gain similar information. Other key informants were
Kylee Singh, the Sustainability Coordinator at Cal Poly, who provided us with great information
regarding the Cal Polys report card from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating
System (STARS) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(AASHE), which helped to reveal the gaps in Cal Polys sustainability program. Genie Kim, the
Director of Wellbeing and Health Education at Cal Poly, was another informant that is a part of
the food pantry on campus. We also met with Hunter Francis, the Director and Founder of the
Center for Sustainability in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
(CAFES) at Cal Poly to receive some helpful information.
Lastly, we created and conducted an online survey that was disbursed to as much of the
student population on Cal Poly campus that we could reach. With this effort, we hoped to
identify key pieces of data including, student demographics, knowledge on sustainability and
estimated production of food waste. From this data collection as well as our meetings with
Megan Coates, RD, and Hunter Francis, we were better able to identify our target population,
and determine areas of weakness in terms of sustainability.

Lead Organization Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: FSN 416 class
considering:
Cal Poly Campus Dining - San Luis Obispo County
Assessment Focus Nutrient composition

o (NWS14/15) Increase the variety
and contribution of fruits/vegetables
to the diets of the population aged 2
years and older
Decrease transportation, food processing
factories
o (EH11) decrease release of toxic
pollutants released into the
environment.
Community San Luis Obispo County + Local Farms (100-mile

radius)
Target Population Cal Poly Student and Faculty
Purpose To identify if there is a need to increase the

sustainability practices of Cal Poly Campus Dining,
and identify the benefit of sustainable practices in
human nutrition.
Overall Goal Identify issues of sustainability in Cal Poly Campus

Dining, and improve policy that rewards local
sourcing, sustainable practices, and other
environmentally protective actions in the
community, and increase education on healthy,
sustainable practices that benefit the individual and
the community.
Data Collected
(excludes literature
Objectives Data Collection Plan (source) review)
Objective #1: Identify key point of Cal Poly SLO organizational Found on Cal
contact within Cal Poly Dining chart Poly website,
before collecting further data. Megan Coats, RD look in
Cal Poly Executive Chef and appendix
Dining Administration Meeting with
Megan
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Reached out,
havent heard
back
Objective #2: Identify main Collection from survey See Survey

demographics of Cal Poly administered by our team Results
Community. Genie Kim: Cal Poly Campus below
Wellbeing Director Genie Kim
lead us to
other people;
she helps run
the food
pantry

concerns with food security, food administered by our team Results
cost, food waste, etc. Genie Kim: Cal Poly Campus below
Kylee Singh: Cal Poly lead us to
Sustainability Coordinator other people;
she helps run
the food
pantry
Kylee Singh
replied email
with 5 useful
links, look
below in Key
Informants
section
Objective #4: Identify number of Cal Poly Campus Dining Emailed,

Cal Poly Students with meal Collection from survey never replied
plans/use of dining facilities/food administered by our team See Survey
purchasing frequency and meal Results
cost. below
Objective #5: Identify main food Collection from survey See Survey
sources within the Cal Poly administered by our team Results
Community. Megan Coats, RD below
Cal Poly Executive Chef and Meeting with
Dining Administration Megan this
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Never heard
back from
Objective #6: Identify the policies Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

already in place that reward or Federal and State government Agriculture Act of
require sustainability practices in websites 2014
the state of California. Department of Labor UC System -
Department of Commerce promotion
Department of Human Health
and Services
Center for Nutrition Policy
and Promotion
Objective #7: Identify colleges and Bureau of Census See School

universities similar to Cal Poly and Survey of Selected Schools Comparison
compare input and output of (listed below) below
campus dining programs. Information from Cal Poly
Campus Dining
Objective #8: Identify how much Information from Cal Poly Meeting with
money is allocated to Cal Poly Campus Dining Megan this
Campus Dining for Thursday,
purchasing/recycling/disposing 5/4, see Key
sustainably, and education on Informants
sustainable nutrition. below
Objective #9: Establish the sources Information from Cal Poly Meeting with
of food and food waste output tied Campus Dining Megan this
to Cal Poly Campus Dining. Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Objective #10: Locate campus Cal Poly Campus Dining Havent

farms and other local farms which Megan Coats, RD heard back
may provide Cal Poly food. Provide from
map for visual representation. Meeting with
Megan this
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Objective #11: Assess community Collection from survey See Survey

perceptions of the values, interests, administered by our team Results
needs, strengths and weaknesses below
Objective #12: Conduct self- Collection from survey See Survey

assessments of health in the Cal administered by team Results
Poly Community. below
Objective #13: Establish the level of Collection from survey See Survey
education on sustainability and administered by team Results
below
nutrition within the Cal Poly

Community
Objective #14: Determine the Surveys administered by team See Survey

nutrition status, anthropometrics, Results
and dietary data of food and below
nutrient intake and dietary
patterns of people who use Campus
Dining.
Objective #15: Determine food Surveys administered by team See Survey

preference and attitudes of target Results
population. Includes preferred below
foods (including fruits and
vegetables) when eating at home, on
the go, or at restaurants. *Baseline
to compare after leaving Cal Poly
Objective #16: Determine Surveys administered by team See Survey

perceptions and attitudes of Results
nutrition, agriculture, below
sustainability, and local food.
Assess confidence/self-efficacy and
ability to produce and sustain a
local food system. (Including
priorities and motivation)
Community Data
Objective #1: Identify key point of Cal Poly SLO organizational Found on Cal
contact within Cal Poly Dining chart Poly website,
before collecting further data. Megan Coats, RD look in
Cal Poly Executive Chef and appendix
Dining Administration Meeting with
Megan
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Reached out,
havent heard
back

demographics of Cal Poly administered by our team Results
Community. Genie Kim: Cal Poly Campus below
lead us to
other people;
she helps run
the food
pantry

concerns with food security, food administered by our team Results
cost, food waste, etc. Genie Kim: Cal Poly Campus below
lead us to
other people;
she helps run
the food
pantry
Kylee Singh
replied email
with 5 useful
links, look
below in Key
Informants
section
Objective #4: Identify number of Cal Poly Campus Dining Emailed,

Cal Poly Students with meal Collection from survey never replied
plans/use of dining facilities/food administered by our team See Survey
purchasing frequency and meal Results
cost. below
Objective #5: Identify main food Collection from survey See Survey
sources within the Cal Poly administered by our team Results
Community. Megan Coats, RD below
Cal Poly Executive Chef and Meeting with
Dining Administration Megan this
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Never heard
back from
Background/
Environmental Data
Objective #6: Identify the policies Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

already in place that reward or Federal and State government Agriculture Act of
require sustainability practices in websites 2014
the state of California. Department of Labor UC System -
Department of Commerce promotion
Department of Human Health
and Services
Center for Nutrition Policy

and Promotion
Objective #7: Identify colleges and Bureau of Census UC Schools

universities similar to Cal Poly and Survey of Selected Schools South Dakota State
compare input and output of (listed below) University
campus dining programs. Information from Cal Poly Illinois State
Campus Dining Illinois University
Fresno State
U of Oregon
See School
Comparison
below
Objective #8: Identify how much Information from Cal Poly Meeting with
money is allocated to Cal Poly Campus Dining Megan this
Campus Dining for Thursday,
purchasing/recycling/disposing 5/4, see Key
sustainably, and education on Informants
sustainable nutrition. below
Objective #9: Establish the sources Information from Cal Poly Meeting with
of food and food waste output tied Campus Dining Megan this
to Cal Poly Campus Dining. Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Objective #10: Locate campus Cal Poly Campus Dining Havent

farms and other local farms which Megan Coats, RD heard back
may provide Cal Poly food. Provide from
map for visual representation. Meeting with
Megan this
Thursday,
5/4, see Key
Informants
below
Objective #11: Assess community Collection from survey See Survey

perceptions of the values, interests, administered by our team Results
needs, strengths and weaknesses below
Target Population Data
Objective #12: Conduct self- Collection from survey See Survey

assessments of health in the Cal administered by team Results
Poly Community. below
Objective #13: Establish the level of Collection from survey See Survey
education on sustainability and administered by team Results
nutrition within the Cal Poly below
Community
Objective #14: Determine the Genie Kim See Survey

nutrition status, anthropometrics, Surveys administered by team Results
and dietary data of food and below
nutrient intake and dietary
patterns of people who use Campus
Dining.
Objective #15: Determine food Surveys administered by team See Survey

preference and attitudes of target Results
population. Includes preferred below
foods (including fruits and
vegetables) when eating at home, on
the go, or at restaurants. *Baseline
to compare after leaving Cal Poly
Objective #5: Determine Surveys administered by team See Survey

perceptions and attitudes of Results
nutrition, agriculture, below
sustainability, and local food.
Assess confidence/self-efficacy and
ability to produce and sustain a
local food system. (Including
priorities and motivation)
Results
Policy:
As the most sustainable state in the nation (tied with Massachusetts) according to the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) standards, it is not surprising that
California efforts to increase sustainability are high. College and university involvement has
played a major role in sustainability efforts within the last 5-10 years. One of the most significant
initiatives employed the be University of California system and followed by the California State
University system is the Sustainable Practice Policy. Under the Sustainable Practice Policy, UC
schools are mandated and CSU schools are suggested to have achieved 20% sustainability by
2020. The nine goals of sustainability are as follows:
green building
clean energy
transportation
climate protection
sustainable operations
waste reduction and recycling
environmentally preferable purchasing
sustainable foodservice
sustainable water systems
AASHE uses STARS to consistently organize sustainable practices to illustrate policies and
simplify assessments. Amongst the many categories and principles on sustainability that they
assess, we primarily focused on the Food and Dining (OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing, and
OP-8: Sustainable Dining) first and foremost, while also assessed the following to a lesser
degree: Curriculum (AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment), Grounds (OP-10: Biodiversity),
Purchasing (OP-11: Sustainable Procurement), Waste (OP-19: Waste Minimization and
Diversion), Water (OP-22: Water Use), Coordination & Planning (PA-1: Sustainability
Coordination, PA-2: Sustainability Planning), Investment and Finance (PA-9: Sustainable
Investment), and Exemplary Practice (IN-1: Sustainability Course Designation, IN-7: Fair Trade
Campus, IN-10: Sustainable Dining Certification). The report is helpful because it can be used as
a guide to help us improve our program at Cal Poly; we can also use it to see how others have
succeeded for ideas. All in all, Cal Poly did well in the report, we got a Silver but we are a few
points away from a Gold, which I know we could attain.
Key Informants:
Megan Coats
After meeting with Cal Poly Campus dietitian, Megan Coats, RD, we were able to gather
several key pieces of data which helped us distinguish the sustainability status of Cal Poly SLO.
This is what we found:
Cal Poly is currently on track to achieve 20% sustainability by 2020 according to the
Sustainable Practice Policy using the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability
in Higher Education measurements (http://www.aashe.org).
Cal Poly was granted the Sustainable Food Systems award by the California Higher
Education Sustainability Conference (https://chesc.org)
Cal Poly has about 50 vendors they use for all of the items; apparently it is significantly
less than other places due to the isolation of San Luis Obispo in the central coast of
California
Produce is purchased mainly from Family Tree from Anaheim and Santa Barbara, which
sources are greater than 100 miles from Cal Poly campus
With regards to smaller, local farm sources, Cal Poly apparently cannot purchase goods
from them being that a policy (the specific policy, who oversees/decides and how to
overcome it still needs to be determined) which restricts purchasing from organizations
that lack an insurance that is too expensive for small business to afford and views these
foods that they produce as a liability; this is a barrier that prevents the intimate
connection of Cal Poly Dining and the surrounding community. If the local farmers could
supply Cal Poly Dining then there would be less fuel wasted in transportation and further
increase the quality of food offered on campus
Local companies Cal Poly purchase from are typically packaged, shelf-stable foods; not
much produce is purchased
Over 50% of local produce is dependent on season; if local farms become a food source,
then the menu would have to change according to season and availability, though this
would be more sustainable
When selecting vendors, Cal Poly is a non-profit organization so they cannot be picky
when selecting vendors, they cant take special deals, and they cant have too many
vendors/deliveries due to heavy student traffic on campus
With regards to Cal Poly Farms, most whole eggs on campus are from Cal Poly Poultry
Unit and sometimes when there are excessive strawberries, Cal Poly Dining will purchase
some since they cant be sold quick enough, but most of the food grown on campus is
sold to outside retailers because they can get a better price there
With regards to food waste, compost/pre-consumer waste of any kind we produce about
15 tons/month; post-consumer waste (mostly food and packaging) we average about 600
pounds per day (in Metro [an all-you-can-eat establishment], especially), but on busy
days [Tuesdays and Wednesdays] we get to a couple thousand pounds per day (bones &
liquid included in waste); recycling occurs at tons of cardboard per year; there are a few
zero waste bins (include separate trash, recycling and compost bins) scattered throughout
campus but food compost is taken to Santa Maria for processing, instead of being
processed through Cal Poly Compost, which only deals with manure
With the meeting with Megan Coats, we found that the lowest fruit on the tree that we
can attain is dealing with the excessive waste which can be done through education and
awareness of people to not grab so much food and highlight the amount of waste (loss of food
and the resources to produce, process and transport). A higher fruit on the tree is learning more
about the policy that restricts local farmers selling goods to Cal Poly; the specific policy needs to
be deciphered, as well as who decides and how we can go about changing the policy.
Kylee Singh
After communicating via email with Kylee Singh, Cal Poly Sustainability Coordinator,
we related to the following helpful resources:
https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/california-polytechnic-state-university-
ca/report/2017-02-16/OP/food-dining/OP-7/
o Our overall STARS AASHE rating was Silver at a score of 62.57, which
is less than 2.5 that the second highest ranking, Gold
o For food and beverage purchasing, we got a 0.09/6.00, room for
improvement
https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/california-polytechnic-state-university-
ca/report/2017-02-16/OP/food-dining/OP-8/
o Sustainable dining, we received a 2.00/2.00

https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/campus_resources/waste
o Describes how we deal with waste and our goals
https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/campus_resources/food_living
o Describes what we are doing to reach sustainability campus wide
https://www.calpolydining.com/sustainability/
o Describes what campus dining is doing to reach sustainability
The information provided by Kylee Singh was very beneficial to find the gaps that can be
filled at Cal Poly.
Hunter Francis
In meeting with the Director of Center for Sustainability, we gain insight on how things
are, why they are and how they could be. We spoke about the possibility of having both the
Center for Sustainability and Energy, Utilities and Sustainability be the overarching umbrella
over our program; to further connect different aspects of the campus towards sustainability.
School Comparison:
We researched several other universities around the country to see how their
sustainability goals and practices compare to those of Cal Poly. UC Davis was ranked #1 in the
world for Campus Sustainability by 2016 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. They
have a sustainable student farm and have hydration stations located around their campus. They
also run a Waste Reduction and Recycling Program (WRR) thats purpose is to recycle and
compost unwanted food items. Their food waste average decreased by 30% from Fall 2012 to
Spring 2015 after their decision to go tray-less. In 2007, UC Davis launched the nations first
zero-waste athletic stadium where all the food and drink are packaged in compostable or
recyclable materials (Sustainability 2017).
Another school in California, Fresno State University, also has a student operated organic
farm that features a variety of foods like tomatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, cantaloupe, zucchini,
and squash. They also have an on-campus market, called Fresno State Rue and Gwen Gibson
Farm Market, that offers incentives for shoppers who go green by using reusable shopping
bags. Fresno States dining hall has also gone tray-less which has contributed to reduced
consumption and food and water waste. Fresno State has plans to get all of their food waste to
compost and used to fertilize crops (Sustainable Food Products 2017).
Cal Poly SLOs sister school, Cal Poly Pomonas Kellogg Ranch and its affiliated restaurant
which is student-run and uses the food grown on campus which is visible while eating at the
restaurant (http://www.cpp.edu/~rkr/). The brewery on campus also is done with materials
grown on campus, from the beer and the food served.
A school north of California, Oregon State, implements Eco2Go, a reusable container
program (Humboldt State University also implements this). Oregon State also promote their
Fresh from the Faucet campaign to make tap water the #1 beverage of choice. Oregon State
features a harvest of the month local foods tabling which is an initiative to provide local produce
sampling or tabling in diving centers. Dining also donates leftover food to Linn-Benton Food
Share and they compost all pre- and post-consumer food waste Sustainability Initiative 2017).
We also looked as schools in the Midwest, like South Dakota State University. SDSUs dining
services purchases food from local farms, growers, and distributers. They recycle from all dining
locations and implement tray-less dining and reusable to-go container programs (Sustainability:
What Were Doing 2017). Another Midwest school, Illinois State, also practices food
composting and averages about 4200 lbs. of food waste per week. They also implement tray-less
dining and purchase locally grown foods (Food Systems: Dining 2017). Another school in
Illinois, University of Illinois, also practices environmentally responsible dining. 95% of the
produce grown at their Sustainable Student Farm is used by dining services. 600,000 gallons of
raw milk produced on their farms is also used by dining. Dining services also participate in
waste-reduction programs such as LeanPath and Zero Percent and they also have three
EnviroPure systems which is a food disposal system used to convert food waste into water
(Sustainability in Dining 2017).
After researching what other universities do to become more sustainable, we found the Cal
Polys sustainability practices are comparable, if not better, than the others. In fact, in 2017 Cal
Poly received a Best Practice Award from California Higher Education Sustainability
Conference (CHESC) in three areas, Student Sustainability Leadership, Sustainable Food
Systems, and Sustainability Innovations. Every year Cal Poly composts 230 tons of food waste
and coffee grounds, as well as recycles 193,000 lbs. of cardboard. 72 percent of campus trash is
already diverted from landfills and Cal Poly is working towards diverting 100 percent of their
trash (Sustainable Dining to Reduce Cal Polys Footprint 2017). Cal Poly currently has 25
active club members who have implemented zero waste stations on parts of campus and organize
weekly waste audits. Through their efforts, along with everything campus dining is doing, they
hope to bring the campus closer to a zero-waste school by 2020 (2016 Sustainability Report
2017).
Cal Poly Demographics:
Target population: Cal Poly Students 21,306 (as of 2016)
55% men, 45% women
59% White
15% Hispanic
11% Asian American
7% Multiracial
5% Other
2% Non-Resident Alien
1% African American
Figures 3 and 4. (from Cal Poly Website)
Survey Results:
How often students eat at campus dining:
30% 1-2x a month
15% 1x a week
30% >1x a week
25% never
What students base food choices on:
17% base food choice on sustainability
Most decisions based on price (#1), nutritional value, and convenience
What percentage of meals arent finished:
67% finish all of their meal
25% dont finish 1/4 of their food
How informed students are about sustainability:
51% somewhat informed about sustainability
17% not informed about sustainability
How many students partake in sustainability practices:
16% partake in no sustainable practices
What sustainability practices students partake in:
76% recycle
35% compost
31% buy locally grown food

Figures 5 and 6. (from our survey results)
Literature Results:
One study examined the effects of community supported agriculture on vegetable intake and
the variety of vegetables consumed. (Wilkins et al. 2392) Community supported agriculture
(CSA) is a program where members pay to receive a weekly supply of seasonal produce from
local farmers. The program focuses on delivering fresh and locally produced vegetables. The
study found that participants daily and weekly consumption of vegetables increased
significantly. Not only did vegetable consumption improve but 60% of participants introduced
new vegetables to their diet. (Wilkins et al. 2392) Programs like CSA could address dietary
deficiencies, while using sustainable food sources. Another article stated that when institutions
increase regional food sourcing, there is greater availability of healthy and sustainably produced
foods. (Harris et al. 343) Many schools are working to implement farm to institution programs so
they can incorporate seasonal local foods in their meal plans.
The distance food travels and the time spent upon being harvested to being consumed has
paramount effects on the nutritional value of the food. Granted processing and handling
procedures applied onto the food dictate a great deal, however, these are means that large food
industry is attempting to perfect, to have food travel greater and greater distances to consumers.
One study from a couple researchers in India were assessing various post-harvest applications of
plant extracts and storage conditions of mangos and measuring 9 various markers at 4-day
intervals over a 12 day storage period (Grupta, 2014). The researchers were assessing means of
limiting fungal spoilage since it is the main reason of fresh fruits and vegetables spoiling during
storage and transportation (Grupta, 2014). The researchers noted that there has been an increased
resistance in fungi to treatments, presence of residual toxicity, environmental pollution and
adverse health effects on humans with some of the post-harvest processing; specifically,
fungicides, growth regulators and waxing materials (Grupta, 2014). The need for such
deleterious post-harvest processing can be greatly reduced if food is consumed or preserved
closer to the source.

According to a study, we have been becoming more dependent on international trade due to
food production and consumption increasingly becoming more spatially disconnected (Pradhan
et al., 2014). This increasing separating is causing food to have to travel farther distances, which
require fossil fuel energy which emits greenhouse gases which affects the world; in 2004,
transportation sector alone contributed to 13% of global emissions (Pradhan et al., 2014).There
are many social benefits to local foods, on top of reducing emissions from transporting, including
economic benefits to local community and increasing the communal relations between producer
and consumer (Pradhan et al., 2014); something that is so foreign to us now. The researchers
considered food self-sufficiency (FSS) when enough is produced calorically, to meet the caloric
demand of the consumers. During their assessment, they analyzed five dimensions that affect
food and feed production, which are: climate change, crop yields, population, dietary patterns
and feed conversion efficiency (Pradhan et al., 2014). Their results showed that about 1.9 billion
people live in regions that can be FSS; where they produce enough calories to meet the need of
the population of that region. The researchers say that Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany,
India, Nigeria and the United States can produce enough food to meet their demands (Pradhan et
al., 2014). The researchers discussed closing yield gaps requires nutrient and waste management;
also, that we must change from our traditional intensified agriculture toward sustainable
agricultural intensification since our current system may exacerbate environmental stress
(Pradhan et al., 2014). These results could be applied to our campus; we can decrease global
emissions by buying local foods that practice sustainability and waste management.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) puts out position and practice papers
regularly. We found one called Promoting Ecological Sustainability within the Food System
(AND, n.d.), which discusses many aspects of sustainability and how to incorporate into virtually
anywhere. They cover many topics but we will focus on the waste management here. They share
methods of how to do/practice sustainability. Figures 8 and 9 below depict the gist of the papers
points on sustainability and waste management. These sustainability and waste management
practices should be incorporated into Cal Poly Dining.
Figure 7. Hierarchy of waste management practices in food production. (AND, n.d.)

Figure 8. Food System Sustainability model. (AND, n.d.)
For sustainability to truly develop, we must address three major areas: environment,
economy and society (including social equity) (Adams, M. S., Adams, R. B., Wessman, C. A., &
Demmig-Adams, B., 2016). Our modern intensive agriculture has been gravely detrimental to
our environment by degradation, climate change and depletion of natural resources (Adams et
al., 2016). Growing and consuming nutritionally deficient food contributes to the risk of human
disease (Adams et al., 2016); as well as disease across other species. Over the next 20 years, non-
communicable disease and disorders is supposed to cost more than $30 trillion to the global
community (Adams et al., 2016). That is extremely alarming because these are the disease that
are not passed from one to another, rather they tend to be based on diet and other environmental
conditions; some of which is completely preventable if the correct policies are in place. The
researchers favor the agroecosystems as a way of producing food since it eventually reaches a
state in which species diversity and interactions are high and few external inputs are needed. In
contrast, modern, intensive agriculture typically force[s] the growth process to start over every
year (Adams et al., 2016). An agroecosystem works with nature and yields more outputs with
increasingly less inputs, whereas modern, intensive agriculture tries to dominate nature and play
God which requires increasingly more amounts of inputs for maybe more or less of the same
outputs as an agroecosystem, but the deleterious environmental effects of modern, intensive
agriculture cannot be overlooked. Agriculture affects a lot, and its effect cannot be taken lightly;
Figure 9 below is a visual representation summarizing some effects. The researchers mention a
sustainable co-optimization solution which maximizes resource-use efficiency, agricultural yield
and food nutritional quality; Figure 10 below serves as a visual representation. These practices
should be considered when Cal Poly Dining is searching for food to purchase; thinking of not
just profit but the effects down the line.

Figure 9. Schematic depiction of selected examples of how agriculture (A) affects environment
(B), human health (C), and thereby sustainability outcomes (D). (Adams et al., 2016)
Figure 10. Three-dimensional matrix with three axes representing the three parameters (x-axis)
food nutritional quality (as linked to human health), (y-axis) Crop resource-use efficiency (as
linked to environmental health), and (z-axis) agricultural yield (as linked to social equity through
the ability to serve the entire human population. (Adams et al., 2016)
Despite there being much more literature to review, we will only assess one more. These
researchers assessed the various methods and measures that existed to assess local food
environments. Local food environments are an independent predictor of diet quality in developed
countries and individuals food choices (Kelly, B., Flood, V. M., & Yeatman, H., 2011). The
local food environment can be grouped of three major categories: 1. The community nutrition
environment; 2. The organizational nutrition environment; and 3. The consumer nutrition
environment (Kelly et al., 2011). Merely measuring spatial availability of food outlets alone is
not nearly as effective as measuring the actual food and beverage products available which
provide more information and likely more of an impact to food purchasing decisions (Kelly et
al., 2011). The mere presence/absence of outlets doesnt reveal much about the local food
environment, rather the relative density of differing food outlet seems to be more important
(Kelly et al., 2011). The relative amount of shelf space for an item has drastic effects on whether
a person will purchase food. The 4 Ps of marketing (product, placement, price and promotion) is
a great organizational means of capturing a range of environmental stimuli people face that may
affect food choice. Table 2 in this article is almost a 3-page table that classifies the tools, the
studies that used the tools, the constructs measured, a description of the tool as well as their
strengths and limitations; however, due to its length, it is placed in the appendix. A good tool
must be feasible, reliable, repeatable, and valid (Kelly et al., 2011). These tools can be utilized to
assess Cal Polys local food environment.
Analysis/Conclusion/Discussion
Through the online survey, we could gather responses from 76 Cal Poly students. The
survey included questions that addressed students knowledge on sustainability, how often
students eat at campus dining, and how much food waste they generate when they do. One in
every four students we surveyed eat on campus at least once a month. This shows that it is
important to target sustainability at campus dining because many students are eating there
regularly. A third of these students arent finishing all of their meal which means that there is
unnecessary food waste at Cal Poly restaurants. Megan Coates, Cal Polys Registered Dietician,
informed us that an average of 600 lbs. of food waste is generated by students eating at Metro
each day. Megan brought to our attention the number of students she sees that take much more
food than needed and end up throwing extra food away. Each student that eats there generates
about lb. of food waste. This statistic from Megan, along with our survey results make it
apparent that something needs to be done to limit food waste at campus dining.
Not many students indicated that they were very informed about sustainability. There is
a clear gap in students knowledge about sustainable practices. Of those who do partake in
sustainable practices, only a third compost and buy locally grown food. While campus dining has
compost bins and over a hundred local food items, not many students are taking advantage of
these resources. It is necessary to educate Cal Poly students about ways to increase sustainability
and waste management practices while on campus and at home.

Through our data collection we have found that Cal Poly is doing their part to include
sustainable practices in Campus Dining, but there is still room for improvement. Cal Poly is still
not a zero-waste campus. Although there are compost bins in Campus Dining, the library, and
the university union, the campus could benefit from having more composting bins throughout
campus. However, we found that just having compost bins available is not enough. Our survey
showed us that not many Cal Poly students are composting. Megan also made it clear that there
is a need to limit student generated food waste in Campus Dining. Even if Campus Dining is
composting much of their waste, students should be assisting in controlling unnecessary food
waste. Most students are not very aware of the advantages of sustainable practices. Students need
to be educated on simple ways to increase sustainability every day.
The literature revealed many points we can use to address our gaps to further improve
Cal Poly and have us be an example to the world. The policies we have on campus, as well as a
state and federal level, ought to be utilitarian with the health of not just the people but the
environment and everything encompassed in it (including all animate and inanimate).
Furthermore, do we want self-sustaining communities where every community can flourish, or
be dependent on producers from great distances who, through economies of scale, can offer
lower prices than local markets and eventually sweat out all the local competition with no local
farmers left? We hope the former takes precedence; more food self-sufficiency with more local
food environments globally, but to start, here at Cal Poly.

References
AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. n.d.. 18
May 2017.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Promoting Ecological Sustainability within the Food System.
(n.d.). Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Adams, M. S., Adams, R. B., Wessman, C. A., & Demmig-Adams, B. (2016). Nutritional Cues Tie
Living Organisms to Their Environment and Its Sustainability. Frontiers in Nutrition, 3(28).
doi:10.3389/fnut2016.00028
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. (2016). [Graph illustration the ACEEE
database May 18, 2017]. State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
Barrett, D. M. (2007). Maximizing the Nutritional Value of Fruits & Vegetables. UC Davis,
40-44. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
California Higher Education in Sustainability Conference. N.d. 18 May 2017.
Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of the joint WHO/FAO expert
consultation. N.d. n.p. Web. 18 May 2017.
Dining, Cal Poly Campus. "Sustainable dining to reduce Cal Polys foodprint." Cal Poly
Corporation. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.
"Food Systems: Dining." Office of Sustainability Illinois State University. N.p., 09 Feb. 2017. Web. 18
May 2017.
Gupta, N., Jain, S.K (2014, October). Storage Behavior of Mango as Affected by Post Harvest
Application of Plant Extracts and Storage Conditions. Retrieved from:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-012-0774-0
Harris, D., M. Lott, V. Lakins, B. Bowden, and J. Kimmons. "Farm to Institution: Creating Access to
Healthy Local and Regional Foods." Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal 3.3
(2012): 343-49. Web. 18 May 2017.
Kelly, B., Flood, V. M., & Yeatman, H. (2011). Measuring local food environments: an overview of
available methods and measures. Health & Place, 17, 1284-1293.
doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.08.014
Nestle, M. (2017, May 18). U.S. agriculture at a glance: USDAs charts. Retrieved from
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2017/05/u-s-agriculture-at-a-glance-usdas-charts/
Pradhan, F., Ludeke, M. K., Reusser, D. E., & Kropp, J. P. (2014). Food Self-Sufficiency across
scales: How local can we go? Environmental Science and Technology, 48, 9463-9470.
doi:dx.doi.org/10.1021/es5005939
Purdue Online Writing Lab (2010, May 5). APA Formatting and Styles Guide. Retrieved from:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
"Sustainability in Dining." University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.
"Sustainability Initiative." Oregon State University. N.p., 01 Mar. 2017. Web. 18 May 2017.
"Sustainability." UC Davis. N.p., 20 Apr. 2017. Web. 18 May 2017.
"2016 Sustainability Report." Facilities Management & Development (FM&D), n.d. Web. 18 May
2017.
"Sustainability: What We're Doing." South Dakota State. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.
"Sustainable Food Products." Fresno State. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.
Sustainable Practices. University of California - Sustainable Practices. N.p. Aug. 2016. Web.
18 May 2017.
Wilkins, Jennifer L., Tracy J. Farrell, and Anusuya Rangarajan. "Linking vegetable
preferences,
health and local food systems through community-supported agriculture." Public Health
Nutrition 18.13 (2015): 2392-401. Web. 18 May 2017.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sustainability/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/06/16/the-new-focus-on-sustainability-the-
dietary-guidelines-for-americans-and-for-our-planet/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sustainability/food-waste/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/06/17/5-tips-for-sustainable-eating/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/06/12/talking-sustainability-with-dr-gary-
adamkiewicz-part-1/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/06/12/talking-sustainability-with-dr-gary-
adamkiewicz-part-2/
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/sustainable-food/where-here-local-food-movement-15-
years-later
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/10/09/magazine/big-food-photo-essay.html
http://www.rootsofchange.org/
https://www.oldwayspt.org/
https://www.slowfoodusa.org/
https://sierraclub.org/sierra/2017-2-march-april/feature/cafo-industrys-impact-environment-and-
public-health
http://civileats.com/2017/05/23/ron-finley-celebrates-victory-for-his-south-central-garden/
http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/
https://attra.ncat.org/fundamental.html
http://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/sarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture/
https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/tracing-evolution-organic-sustainable-agriculture-tesa1900
http://www.ru.org/index.php/ecology/287-towards-a-sustainable-agriculture
https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/sustainable-agriculture-definitions-and-terms
http://www.cias.wisc.edu/sustainable-agriculture-balancing-profits-and-human-and-natural-
resources/
http://courses.sare.org/
http://eap.mcgill.ca/sustain.htm
http://www.agroeco.org/doc/new_docs/Agroeco_principles.pdf
https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program
https://www.soilassociation.org/
http://rodaleinstitute.org/
https://www.ota.com/
http://ofrf.org/
https://www.organic-center.org/
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/
http://www.improvenet.com/a/guide-to-composting-at-home
http://compostingcouncil.org/
http://composting.org/
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food
https://www.biocycle.net/
https://attra.ncat.org/soils.html
http://www.sare.org/
https://www.treefarmsystem.org/
http://www.sfiprogram.org/
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/business/forestry/certification
https://www.scsglobalservices.com/?scscertified=1
http://www.pefc.org/
https://us.fsc.org/en-us
http://www.fao.org/forestry/sfm/en/
http://www.fire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/resource_mgt_forestpractice
https://careerservices.calpoly.edu/explore-services/emerging-markets/food-sustainability-and-
security
https://visual.ly/community/infographic/food/shocking-facts-about-factory-farming-vs-
sustainable-farming
https://www.goodfoodjobs.com/education.html
http://sustainableaged.org/
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/
https://www.fns.usda.gov/
local support:
http://www.gleanslo.org/
http://www.slofoodsystem.org/
http://centralcoastgrown.org/
Cal Poly Compost:
http://www.calpolycorporation.org/cal-poly-campus-dinings-sustainability-measures/
http://www.sarc.calpoly.edu/pdfs/events/2017%20carbon%20farm/niebrugge_swanton.pdf
http://www.calpolycorporation.org/cal-poly-turns-trash-into-compost/
http://www.sarc.calpoly.edu/pdfs/demeterworkshop2017.pdf
http://www.sarc.calpoly.edu/pdfs/composting%20brochure.pdf
http://www.sarc.calpoly.edu/compost_project.html
Appendix:

Community Needs Assessment 7 20 2017

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Community Needs Assessment 7 20 2017

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CNA: Cal Poly Sustainability Spring 2017, FSN 416 Tabatabai, Santos, Peterson, Garcia

Community Needs Assessment: Addressing Sustainability Issues in Nutrition on Cal Poly

RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY: RILEY PETERSON, AGUSTIN GARCIA, SAMANTHA

SANTOS AND MARTA TABATABAI

ORGANIZATION: CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY

As changes in U.S. administration create uncertainty in the future of environmental

(Nestle, 2017); as shown in Figure 1 at bottom of introduction. Moreover, looking at jobs in

Figure 1. (Nestle, 2017)

Figure 2. (Nestle, 2017)

it has on communities to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

(CAFES) at Cal Poly to receive some helpful information.

and determine areas of weakness in terms of sustainability.

Assessment Focus Nutrient composition

Community San Luis Obispo County + Local Farms (100-mile

Target Population Cal Poly Student and Faculty

Purpose To identify if there is a need to increase the

Overall Goal Identify issues of sustainability in Cal Poly Campus

Objective #2: Identify main Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #3: Identify main Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #4: Identify number of Cal Poly Campus Dining Emailed,

Objective #6: Identify the policies Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

Objective #7: Identify colleges and Bureau of Census See School

Objective #10: Locate campus Cal Poly Campus Dining Havent

Objective #11: Assess community Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #12: Conduct self- Collection from survey See Survey

nutrition within the Cal Poly

Objective #14: Determine the Surveys administered by team See Survey

Objective #15: Determine food Surveys administered by team See Survey

Objective #16: Determine Surveys administered by team See Survey

Objective #2: Identify main Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #3: Identify main Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #4: Identify number of Cal Poly Campus Dining Emailed,

Objective #6: Identify the policies Department of Agriculture Farm Bill

Center for Nutrition Policy

Objective #7: Identify colleges and Bureau of Census UC Schools

Objective #10: Locate campus Cal Poly Campus Dining Havent

Objective #11: Assess community Collection from survey See Survey

Target Population Data

Objective #12: Conduct self- Collection from survey See Survey

Objective #14: Determine the Genie Kim See Survey

Objective #15: Determine food Surveys administered by team See Survey

Objective #5: Determine Surveys administered by team See Survey

2020. The nine goals of sustainability are as follows:

waste reduction and recycling

environmentally preferable purchasing

sustainable water systems

degree: Curriculum (AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment), Grounds (OP-10: Biodiversity),

Purchasing (OP-11: Sustainable Procurement), Waste (OP-19: Waste Minimization and

Coordination, PA-2: Sustainability Planning), Investment and Finance (PA-9: Sustainable

points away from a Gold, which I know we could attain.

This is what we found:

in Higher Education measurements (http://www.aashe.org).

Education Sustainability Conference (https://chesc.org)

overcome it still needs to be determined) which restricts purchasing from organizations

increase the quality of food offered on campus

much produce is purchased

would be more sustainable

vendors/deliveries due to heavy student traffic on campus

we related to the following helpful resources:

is less than 2.5 that the second highest ranking, Gold

o For food and beverage purchasing, we got a 0.09/6.00, room for

o Sustainable dining, we received a 2.00/2.00

o Describes how we deal with waste and our goals