CHM Policies and Procedures - Sustainable Food Policy

1. Policy

1. For meals or food purchased using Center for Healthy Minds (CHM) funds, the expectation is for vegetarian or plant-based meals to be purchased.  However, people may have health reasons to prefer or require a particular diet, or there may be cultural factors to be considered. Event or meeting organizers may use their judgment to justify an exception. 

2. Exceptions include:

   1. Individual meals selected by visitors, participants or employees.

   2. Meals or food purchased using personal funds not expecting reimbursement. 

   3. Food that is purchased using funds contributed by participant fees such as registration fees or tickets.

   4. Events with external partners, groups or entities where serving a vegetarian meal risks damaging the relationship or reputation due to cultural expectations.

2. Definitions

1. Center for Healthy Minds’ funds = any gifts, grants, or project funds administered or controlled by CHM.

2. Meals / food = consumable items purchased following UW-Madison rules.

3. CHM event = any gathering, meeting, with participants internal or external to CHM that is organized by CHM staff.

3. Rationale

In addition to the environmental1 and ethical rationales, CHM recognizes different health and cultural expectations when it comes to food, and therefore this policy is intended to prioritize inclusivity.

4. Reference

Scarborough, P., Clark, M., Cobiac, L. et al. Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts. Nat Food 4, 565–574 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00795-w