Vegan Practically

What might seem like a little thing is actually huge. I realize I talk about catering a lot. And again I want to make it clear that the reason is not because I am grumpy when I don’t get a decent meal (even though I am indeed grumpy when I don’t get a decent meal — I saw a meme this morning that resonated: “If I say ‘I’m hungry’ we’ve got 27 minutes until I’m a different person”). The reason I celebrate catering wins and call out catering fails here is that catering decisions are an indicator of what people care about and what’s on the moral/political radar these days.

Once or twice each term my institution has events called “Leaders Forums,” where leaders from across the campus come together to learn about and discuss our priorities and initiatives. I’ve come to enjoy these lunch events as an opportunity to meet people in leadership roles who I otherwise might not get a chance to meet. Like yesterday I was seated with people from Communications, Education, History, the Provost’s Office, and Development. Yesterday’s topic was Sustainability, which is a big deal for us because we rank in the top ten for sustainability on both the Times Higher Ed and the QS rankings, and are the only Canadian school to do that well.

In keeping with the topic of the day, the lunch menu was fully plant-based (almost — they put chevre on the side to go with the salad, which they could easily have left off the table to make it 100%, but for some mystifying reason they didn’t want to be perfect).

Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that they can and did manage to offer a plant-based meal that was both delicious and satisfying, and included real dessert (with coconut whipped cream topping as a bonus) and plant-based milk for our coffee and tea. So to give credit where credit is due: yay! Well done Great Hall Catering and well done to the event planning team who ordered catering that fit well with the day’s Sustainability theme.

The food was fantastic and most people at my table enjoyed it without commenting or grumbling about the lack of animal products. I was impressed and pleased, and the catering folks were understandably proud of what they had accomplished. Kudos to everyone involved.

And where do we go from here?

My strong suggestion, which I have a made a number of times to several people and offered also as “event feedback” on the survey circulated after the fact, is that this become the norm. At present we already have reached the goal of 40% plant-based food options in the residence cafeterias. I should think that the events specifically for Leaders should do at least as well, indeed, should do better than that.

If sustainability and our reputation for our sustainability initiatives is something we take seriously, than yesterday’s demonstration of what we can do on the event catering front should set a new direction for the future. Otherwise, it’s just a gesture or even a gimmick, like chocolate kisses and hearts strewn on the tables for Valentines or pine centrepieces in December.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved what I saw yesterday. And it was great to hear about our many sustainability initiatives, including a wonderful course called Connecting for Climate Change Action, which is a collaborative effort between Geography and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. The course “uses a storytelling approach to bring Western and Indigenous Sciences together to educate, encourage discussions, and motivate action on climate change. This innovative, experiential, online learning opportunity engages and stimulates learners to action to mitigate climate change.” You can find out more about the course and how to register for it online for free on the website.

Sustainability has built right into it the idea of changes that set us in new directions in the long run. One day of conscious catering is not enough to achieve that or to demonstrate our strategic commitments.