Food Alliance Background
Food Alliance operates the most comprehensive third-party certification program in North America for sustainably produced food. Food Alliance's Stewardship Council and Board of Directors use the following guiding principles to inform and direct their governance. These guiding principles provide a detailed definition of how Food Alliance defines environmental and social responsibility in agricultural production. When considered altogether they describe an ideal, comprehensive approach to agricultural production.

In order to become Food Alliance certified™, farmers and ranchers commit to improving their operations with respect to the guiding principles. Improvement efforts are evaluated over time by Food Alliance site inspectors. Each of the guiding principles has either a fixed standard or at minimum an individual evaluation item dedicated to it.

Food Alliance Guiding Principles
Food Alliance certified™ distinguishes foods produced by farmers and ranchers who:

• Provide safe and fair working conditions
  Create a work environment with open communication about workplace safety and job satisfaction, with incentives and opportunities for development of employee skills; consider quality of life issues for farm workers and their communities.
  
  
• Provide healthy and humane treatment of animals
  Raise livestock with the greatest respect for their needs and comfort; provide livestock with access to sunlight, room to graze, and an environment where they can socialize and express normal animal behaviors; handle livestock with great care to minimize fear and stress.
  
  
• Raise livestock without added hormones and antibiotics
  Raise animals the natural way, without using hormones or antibiotics to stimulate growth; use antibiotics only to treat a sick animal to return it to health, not as a substitute for healthy living conditions.
  
  
• Raise crops without genetically modified organisms (GMO's)
  Raise crops or livestock products that are not derived from transgenic or genetically modified organisms; respect the public's concerns over potential ecological impacts or effects on human health.
  
  
• Reduce pesticides usage and toxicity
  Practice integrated pest management (IPM) using a wide range of natural pest control methods such as beneficial insects, careful weather monitoring and scouting. Use the least toxic pesticides only when natural methods don't work. Practice pest control that minimizes negative impacts to human health and environment.
  
  
• Protect water resources
  Preserve clean drinking water and fish habitat by providing buffer zones along streams; practice tillage methods that conserve soil's ability to absorb rainfall; manage animal wastes to prevent ground and surface water contamination.
  
  
• Protect and enhance soil resources
  Protect soils by maximizing plant cover, rotating crops, and using cover crops to enrich soil and increase productivity; use management-intensive grazing; use tillage methods that protect soil quality and promote soil conservation.
  
  
• Provide wildlife habitat
  Encourage vegetative cover, food, and water resources necessary for habitat; establish biological corridors; manage mowing and grazing cycles to have the least impact on wildlife: restore or protect wetland prairie and woodland habitats.
  
  
• Continually improve
  Set specific goals to reach new levels of sustainability; report progress toward goals annually.

Food Alliance also has a certification program for foods produced by handlers (packers, manufacturers and processors) verifying the traceability of Food Alliance certified™ product back to the farm, as well as environmentally and socially responsible practices at the handling facility. Food Alliance certified™ products are handled by food packers, manufacturers and processors who:

• Uses Food Alliance certified ingredients from sustainable farms and ranches
• Create natural products considering purity and nutritional value
• Ensure quality control and food safety
• Responsibly manage water and energy resources
• Responsibly manage waste with emphasis on recycling and reuse
• Provide a safe & fair work environment
• Commit to continuous improvement of these sustainable practices

Please visit the Food Alliance website for more information regarding these and many other partnership and volunteer opportunities available in your area: http://www.foodalliance.org/

Recycle Mug Program
The average American produces 3.5 pounds of garbage every day. This equates to 1,300 pounds of garbage per year for every man, woman and child in the U.S. And we're running out of places to put that garbage. Sodexo is committed to working together with our customers, clients and manufacturers to reduce that waste and to build a better environment for ourselves and our future generations. Our most successful and generous support comes with our national Recycle Mug program. Not only does use of this mug substantially reduce waste, but every sale of the mug directly benefits the health of our nation's fish and wildlife and their respective habitats. We market this Recycle Mug program to colleges and universities across North America in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The Recycle Mugs will offer discounted prices for refills of coffee and carbonated soft drinks to encourage more frequent use and reduce waste. Sodexo will donate $.15 from the proceeds of every mug sold to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The results have been outstanding. Since the inception of this program in 1993, more than 800,000 cups have been purchased and over $200,000.00 presented to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This money helps support the nonprofit foundation's goals of environmental education, natural resource management, habitat protection and ecosystem restoration.

"The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation relies upon public and private support to fund conservation projects. We applaud Sodexo and those who have purchased the Refill Mug for becoming active partners in our conservation efforts," said Amos Eno, Executive Director of the Foundation.

"Purchasing a Refill Mug takes just a minute, but the funds raised through each sale support projects that will preserve and protect the environment for years to come. Sodexo's Refill Mug program is an exemplary partnership because it facilitates the involvement of many individuals in environmental protection and provides the seed money necessary for conservation projects across the country."

Our Manufacturing Partners
Sodexo has been an active member of industry coalitions which encourage legislators, manufacturers and consumers to jointly develop rational, not reactionary, strategies to today's environmental needs. We select our manufacturing partners watchfully. Fort Howard, our largest contracted supplier of paper, napkins, tissue and towels, uses recycled fiber exclusively in the manufacturing process. Mobil Chemical, our primary contracted source for plastic can liners, uses from 30% to 90% recycled materials in their plastic liners.

Sweetheart Cup, Solo Cup, Amoco, Dart and Mobil all use pre-recycled material in the manufacture of foam plates, bowls and food containers. Sodexo will continue to form alliances with business organizations that are ecologically sound and responsible. We will continue to work with consumer organizations, governmental agencies and industry groups to implement new strategies and tactics as they evolve. We will actively participate in the long-range planning process at the local and national levels to ensure that our environment and economy are protected for future generations to come.

Environmental Awareness Policy
Sodexo's Environmental Action Program is complex and multifaceted, offering solid information and tools to make our customers, clients, employees, and society at large aware of environmental problems and how they can help. This is a "living program" with an open-door policy: We will add to, amend, update and keep our programs current through publications, posters, newsletters and similar marketing and communication materials. Our program will be enhanced as new information is discovered and as we hear suggestions from our customers and clients.The following are key steps we follow to maximizing the impact we can make with our environmental programs:

1. Use a Waste Stream Audit to identify the key campus opportunities.
2. Review the audit summary with our customers and ask for your direction.
3. Solicit campus support. Develop an action plan to focus on the initial issues.
4. Draw together a task force of interested parties and delegate tasks.
5. Meet with the task force and review progress as necessary.
6. Support the objectives of the task force as needed.

How You Can Help...
You can help us help the environment in a number of ways:

1. Take only the number of napkins you need per meal.
2. Take only one cup for each beverage purchase.
3. Use paper bags for carryout, where provided.
4. Join our Recycle Mug Program or bring your own mug from home for beverage purchases.
5. Recycle aluminum cans throughout campus at the designated recycling stations as well as at home.
6. Dine in rather than carrying out.
7. Get involved with your school and the Food Service Recycling Program.