Students push for local food options

A group of students is working with UCF Dining Services to bring more vegan, vegetarian, organic and locally sourced food options on campus.

Members of the Student Sustainability Alliance and the Body of Animal Rights Campaigners created a proposal called "Honest Eats" last semester.

They are meeting with Dining Services bi-weekly to work out the details of the proposal, which aims to make more than 50 percent of campus dining options local, ethical and sustainable.

"It's not just about vegetarian or vegan options on campus," said proposal leader Sarah Benjamin, the co-president of BARC and a member of SSA's leadership council. "Our big push is to get local food on campus from farmers and other people within the southeast region, preferably within 100 miles of Orlando. Supporting local food and supporting the local economy are a big part of the proposal."

Although campus dining halls offer some vegan and vegetarian options, Summer Singletary, a proposal leader and member of SSA, said choices are limited and student demand for healthier and more sustainable food is up.

Dining Services is cooperating with the proposal and working with the students to explore new options.

"We were pleasantly surprised that [Dining Services] were completely on board and wanting to do these things," Singletary said. "We have a long way to go, but they want to work with us."

Eden Wetherell, the sustainability coordinator for Dining Services, said students are starting to think more about where their food comes from.

"We feed students, so if there's a huge push for it and it's going to be profitable for us, then why not do it?" she said.

The biggest challenge the proposal is facing is feasibility.

UCF has more than 50,000 students to feed, and Benjamin said they are trying to figure out where the food would be sourced from and how much it would cost Dining Services.

"We have to make the proposal presentable to them," Benjamin said. "They're a corporation, and they want to make money. That's where they are at the end of the day."

Wetherell said that Dining Services' biggest concern is the health of students. Meat must be USDA certified, and all farmers and vendors must be licensed. 

"We're trying our best to work with the student voice to make sure that it can happen, but that it's also safe for students," she said. "We want to accomplish everything in that SSA proposal, but it's just going to be a matter of time."

Students are working on the logistics of the plan so they can present findings to Dining Services and move forward with incorporating more dining options.

"We're in the process of researching the farms and how much food they make and how much they would be able to contribute to UCF," Singletary said.

Although the proposal is still in the planning stages, Benjamin said she is 99 percent sure that new dining options will be available on campus soon.

"There will definitely be changes by the end of the semester," Singletary said, although she was cautious to give away details because nothing is finalized.

"There are a lot of avenues that I see opportunity in, but I'm not sure which will open up," she said.