The Real Food Challenge defines "real food" as being local, fair, ecologically sound and humane.
The Real Food Challenge (RFC) is a national campaign aiming to implement real food onto college campuses. The goal is to get 20 percent “real food” in the dining halls by 2020. The RFC defines real food as local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound and/or humane. The goal of this campaign, aside from providing healthier food, is to involve students directly in the process of democratically choosing their food. Through a RFC working group, students track the university’s past purchasing. The calculator is intended to connect students with faculty and dining services so that more “real food” is purchased. Eventually, President McDavis has to sign on to the Real Food Campus Commitment, which is the extent of his participation. After he signs, it is up to us, the students, to follow through on bringing real food to campus.
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Democracy is critical for a certain number of reasons. When the decisions are being made by those not affected by them, those decisions are chosen much less responsibly than decisions made directly by those that are affected by them. The RFC aims to make the consumers (the eaters, the producers, the community members) the decision maker. By creating a RFC working group, students work together with the administration to determine what percent of the food currently purchased can be considered “real” and what specifically will be purchased to reach the goal of 20 percent real food. The working group also brings local farmers and other stakeholders to the table to allow for a more democratic food purchasing process. University procurement dollars spent locally have the potential to circulate two to four times more than when spent on non-local products.
Implementing the Real Food Challenge will not only give the students a voice, but also ensures that the local economy flourishes.
Rachel Komich is a senior studying English.
