In 2011, ASU made the decision to extend the food service contract for the Memorial Union and the dining halls to Aramark until at least 2024.
As students, professors and administrators attempt to define and develop a sustainable food system with Aramark, there seems to be no clear consensus.
As ASU moves forward in its sustainability efforts, questions are being raised about its long-term partnership with international food service conglomerate Aramark, a company that has been suspected of “greenwashing.”
Many of the nation’s universities operate their dining halls themselves, including Pennsylvania State University and University of Texas at Austin, and find it easier to manage sustainable and community-aware dining programs.
Sustainability in food can be difficult, but the ASU Sustainable Food Task Force, a group of administrators, professors and students, are charged with the task of “developing an institutional food policy that expresses the priorities of students, faculty and staff," according to the group’s statement of values.
Story by Nicholas Palomino Mendoza
Photos by Ana Ramirez
