In 2023, U-M concluded reporting on a food goal established in 2011—to purchase 20% of food from local and sustainable sources by 2025—achieving 19%. Since 2011, best practices have evolved for tracking impact in sustainable food practices, allowing campus partners to use the 2025 goal-renewal year to update performance tracking methodology. U-M food leaders will now broaden their metrics to include carbon-emission reductions, sustainable certifications, and plant-based food percentages. (MDining, for example, has already committed to 55% plant-based offerings in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States.)
As part of updating U-M’s sustainable food goals, major campus food suppliers and vendors—beyond MDining will be encouraged, through the procurement process, to meet the same implementation and reporting standards to ensure consistency across campus operations.
Efforts to track and reduce emissions associated with food purchases across the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses are also being incorporated into U-M’s Scope 3 emissions plans.
