DefaultVeg at Universities

Universities worldwide welcome DefaultVeg

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 welcoming DefaultVeg in dining halls, coffee shops, and all the other ways food is served on campus.

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

All-you-care-to-eat settings provide an especially ripe opportunity for DefaultVeg–and dramatic potential impact.

Our research suggests that DefaultVeg more than doubles the amount of plant-based food eaten. Across three different universities, we found that while only 26.9% of dishes served were plant-based on control days (meat default), on DefaultVeg days, 57.6% of dishes were.

DefaultVeg works for all the ways food is served on campus

The promise of DefaultVeg on college campuses extends beyond dining halls, too. Campus coffee shops can use oatmilk by default as the inclusive and sustainable choice. Faculty can make their department events DefaultVeg, and student groups can host DefaultVeg events, too.

What Universities are already doing this?

• In 2022 at At Northwestern University, the school’s student government passed acting legislation that includes a 70% plant-based requirement, and relies on proven behavioral nudges such as opting into 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. That’s right, it’s not just students but also administrators who 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.
• Meanwhile on Pacific Time, Western Washington University’s College of the Environment has gone DefaultVeg for the planet
• University of San Diego, Pitzer College, and Pomona College both opted to focus on coffee, making lattes and cappuccinos with oatmilk 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 plantmilk, across campus.

In addition to progress led by student ambassadors, nearly 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 Ambassador Program provides students with a structured approach to advocating for plant-based defaults on campus. Ambassadors can expect to improve their research, communication, advocacy, negotiation, project management, and leadership skills throughout the program, all while pushing for a more sustainable food system.