Campus Dining Today Spring 2021 - 15

The Bold Sustainability Vision
of One Plate, One Planet:
How R&DE Stanford Dining is Driving Climate
Action and Equitable Procurement
Sophie Egan, MPH
Senior Advisor for
Sustainable Food Systems,
R&DE Stanford Dining

One Plate, One Planet is the new, bold call to
action by Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE)
Stanford Dining to address climate change. It's
being activated collectively through its creative
chefs, collaborating with climate change thoughtleaders, and engaging students in embracing the
power of their food choices. Students' food choices
matter, as the delicious options they select for their
plates have the power to reduce climate change.
It is based on the principle that individual choices
make a collective difference; and ultimately, we
have only one planet that must sustain future
generations. 
One Plate, One Planet is deeply aligned with
Stanford University's sustainability leadership,
which includes renowned faculty with subject
matter expertise, a university commitment of
at least net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,
and a forthcoming school focused entirely on
sustainability. 
" Sustainability is a core value for R&DE, " said Dr.
Shirley Everett, senior associate vice provost,
Residential & Dining Enterprises, Stanford
University. " As leaders, we are committed to service
excellence in all of our operations. We are focused
on preserving our planet, which includes continually
implementing policies and practices that preserve

our natural resources and reduce our overall
impact on the environment. During this COVID-19
pandemic, the use of takeout containers has forced
us to think more critically about how we plan for
the new normal. Through a number of strategic
projects and programs, R&DE is integrating longterm sustainable initiatives into how we operate
across the campus to provide enhanced ecological
offerings to our valued students and customers. "
R&DE Stanford Dining is also at the forefront
of the campus dining sector when it comes to
sustainability. It was among the first campus
dining programs in the country to hire a full-time
sustainable food program manager. Long ago, it
published its in-depth Sustainable Food Ethos1,
committing to rigorous sustainability standards and
guidelines across all of its sourcing and operations.
This year marks the next ambitious chapter in its
journey of sustainability leadership. 
" When it comes to long-term strategies in
sustainability, there is no imperative as important
to address as climate change, " said Eric Montell,
executive director of R&DE Stanford Dining.
" Our approach to climate-smart dining is
rooted in the resounding message from climate
scientists, that our actions to address the climate
emergency must be exponential in nature. We

One Pla te, One Planet | CAMPUS DINING TODAY

15
https://rde.stanford.edu/dining/one-plate-one-planet
Campus Dining Today Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Campus Dining Today Spring 2021
