Every year the university holds an Ethical Food and Fairtrade Fortnight (EFFF). The fortnight of events helps to raise awareness of the sustainability impacts of food and also what we can do as individuals and an institution to help people make better choices.
We often don’t realise that the environmental and social impacts of food production, transportation, packaging and food wastage is also undermining our ability to survive as a species.
- Food accounts for over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Half of the world’s habitable (ice- and desert-free) land is used for agriculture
- 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture
- Agriculture and aquaculture is listed as a threat for 24,000 of 28,000 species evaluated to be threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List (data from Univ Oxford)
EFFF provides students and staff with an opportunity to explore many key issues that can help us better protect not only the planet, but also our health and often save us some money too.
This year we are holding a virtual fortnight and includes:
- Expert speakers from our academic communities (including NRI & FEHHS), external organisations (including Starbucks & BaxterStory), plus insights from our own students and staff will explore issues including: palm oil, packaging and food waste, Veganism, Fairtrade and healthy diets for a healthy planet.
- Daily social media sustainable food themes to help you learn more about what goes on your plate.
- Articles generated by staff and students to help you understand key issues in a bit more depth.
- A UoG student and staff crowdsourced vegetarian and vegan cookbook, plus
- Podcasts, including one with the Fairtrade Foundation.
All events are free to attend and are open for you to ask burning questions you may have on important food related issues.
Also we want your favourite recipes!
One of the university’s graduate volunteers is compiling a UoG responsible food cookbook. Send in your favourite five vegetarian, vegan or otherwise sustainable recipe’s you want to be included.
Send URLs of your recipes to sustainability@gre.ac.uk by 26 February and we will edit these into a downloadable recipe book which we hope will be available to share before the end of EFFF (5 March). Please let us know if you want your name, course/department/directorate/faculty added to the recipes (e.g. dish recommended by Marie Ingram, Estates & Facilities.) Thank you.
