Universities

Universities worldwide welcome Plant-Based by Default

The college years: a time for innovation, experimentation, and imagination. On-campus living presents a special opportunity to reimagine systems and pilot novel ideas. And one of the most powerful solutions colleges have embraced is shifting to Plant-Based by Default in dining halls, coffee shops, and all the other ways food is served on campus.

Working with foodservice providers, students can influence a change in food procurement to reflect their campus values, promoting sustainable, inclusive, and plant-forward eating habits on campuses and beyond.

All-you-care-to-eat settings provide an especially ripe opportunity for plant-based defaults to make an impact

Our research suggests that shifting to plant-based by default more than doubles the amount of plant-based food eaten, while keeping diner satisfaction high. Across three different universities, we found that while only 26.9 percent of dishes served were plant-based on control days (meat default), on plant-based default days, 57.6 percent of dishes were. Our recent overview of research addressing the effectiveness of nudges further supports the promise of plant-based defaults in these settings.

Plant-based defaults work for all the ways food is served on campus

The promise of plant-based defaults on college campuses extends beyond dining halls, too. Campus coffee shops can serve oat milk by default as the inclusive and sustainable choice. Faculty can make their department events Plant-Based by Default, and student groups can host DefaultVeg events, too.

What universities are already doing this?

• In 2022 Northwestern University’s student government passed legislation that includes a 70 percent plant-based requirement and relies on proven behavioral nudges such as opting in to animal-based products at catered gatherings and presenting animal-based products last at buffet-style events.
• New York University has also welcomed DefaultVeg with open arms, adopting plant-based defaults in its student government and in the Office of the Provost. Both students and administrators recognize the transformative potential of plant-based defaults. NYU’s Office of Sustainability also went DefaultVeg, curbing the school’s emissions through plant power, following in the footsteps of Harvard’s Office of Sustainability.
• On the West Coast, Western Washington University’s College of the Environment has adopted plant-based by default for their campus.
• University of San Diego, Pitzer College, and Pomona College all opted to focus on coffee, making lattes and cappuccinos with oat milk by default, thanks to the work of student fellows with New Roots Institute. Cornell University also eliminated its dairy default, along with the upcharge on plant milk, across campus.

In addition to progress led by student ambassadors, more than 400 schools have begun to incorporate plant-based nudges in their dining halls as the result of a collaboration between DefaultVeg and Sodexo, one of the largest university foodservice providers.

The plant-forward food wave doesn’t stop at U.S. borders

Oxford, Copenhagen, and the University of Victoria have all embraced plant-based defaults in one way or another, as it should be: movements are built in community, and we all share the same planet. With just a few simple changes to our cafeterias and dinner plates, we can make a sizable dent in greenhouse gas emissions. Transforming our food system is a cooperative effort, but luckily, plant-based food includes—and benefits—everyone.

How can students get involved?

The Better Food Foundation’s DefaultVeg Student Internship Program provides students with a structured approach to advocating for plant-based defaults on campus. Ambassadors improve their research, communication, advocacy, negotiation, project management, and leadership skills throughout the program, all while pushing for a more sustainable food system.