UBC Food Systems Project (UBCFSP) : scenario 3

This paper reports on a student enterprise carried out under the ambit of the University of British Columbia Food System Project. The Project seeks to initiate a transition towards sustainability in the campus food system and incorporates a process of community-based action research. The authors were requested to assist the Alma Mater Society in carrying out an action plan designed to aid one of its several food outlets to carry a lighter ecological footprint. A literature review and communication with stakeholders provided direction for the project. The objective of this study was to introduce a seasonal, local, vegetarian item into The Pendulum’s menu, the chosen food outlet. Ingredients for the menu item were selected based on their relative abundance and local availability from September to April, the busiest period for The Pendulum. Another consideration was the potential to source food materials from the UBC Farm in the future. A beet and apple salad with goat cheese was prepared, evaluated by a sensory panel, costed, nutritionally analyzed, and then test marketed at The Pendulum. Display case signage was used to market the salad as local, seasonal, nutritional, and that it helps to reduce the ecological footprint of the Alma Mater Society. The salad was popular, selling out within a day, and will be incorporated into The Pendulum menu. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Land and Food Systems, Faculty ofUnreviewedUndergraduat