Sustainable Development and Food

The food sector accounts for approximately 30% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Crippa et al. 2021). Most of these emissions stem directly from agricultural production and land use (Vermeulen et al. 2012), but they also include processing, transportation, packaging, sales, and waste management. Additional challenges have arisen from crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the declining supply of ecosystem services, and the war in Ukraine, which have ultimately disrupted supply chains and led to rising global food prices (Dudek and Śpiewak, 2022). Equally alarming, and now of global scope, is the problem of nutrition, obesity, and related health consequences (Wijerathna-Yapa and Pathirana, 2022). In the face of such challenges, fundamental changes (transformations) to global food systems appear necessary, in line with the concept of a “just transition” (Hoek et al., 2021).

Sustainable Nutrition and Higher Education Institutions

This situation sets new goals for higher education institutions and the broader research community. Universities play a key role in the climate-positive transformation of the food system (Krattenmacher et al., 2023). Given the inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary nature of higher education institutions, they provide an ideal research environment for developing models of food system transformation, allowing for the analysis of economic issues, food accessibility, and nutritional value in the context of social inequalities, as well as informational and educational activities supporting the transformation (Moser and Fazey, 2021). Finally, universities and their food systems directly impact large numbers of students (as many as 1.3 million in Poland), academic staff, and local communities (GUS, 2025).

Research on food system transformation strategies is already undertaken on campuses in the U.S. and Western Europe. In the case of Central and Eastern Europe, the barriers to sustainable academic food systems have not yet been studied – representing a research gap – and, consequently, no attempts have been made to develop potential solutions in strictly food-related, as well as social and economic, contexts.

About the Project

The project aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the operations of cafeterias and food service outlets at three public universities in Poland: Jagiellonian University, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), and the University of Rzeszów.

We are taking a comprehensive approach to the issue of food service systems for the broader academic community, focusing on the following three aspects:

1) economic – the affordability of food for students and university staff;

2) health – quality of life, work, and study – healthy, nutritious food and the infrastructure for its consumption as an essential foundation for effective activity in the science and education sectors;

3) environmental – related to the mission and responsibility of universities in the context of the need to adapt to climate change, as well as fostering pro-environmental attitudes.

The study aims to answer the following questions:

• What is the state of the available infrastructure and food offerings at the surveyed public universities in Poland?
• How does the Polish academic community eat at their workplace and place of study?
• What are the differences in resources, practices, awareness, challenges, and expectations between the centers and peripheries of academic education?
• What changes are needed and feasible in the academic food system?
• How can we raise awareness of the role of nutrition in effective work and study, and inspire participation in implementing necessary changes?
• How should we discuss the need for changes in academic food systems?

One of the project’s outcomes will be a final report presenting not only the research findings but also the resulting recommendations, addressed to the broader academic community and decision-makers.

A Study of Eating Habits and Dietary Needs Among Academic Community

We invite you to participate in a survey on eating at universities, conducted as part of this project. The survey focuses on the dining habits of students, graduate students, and university staff, as well as their opinions on the available dining options and desired changes.

https://forms.office.com/e/GQmU1NxRyH

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous.

Thank you in advance for your time and for providing thoughtful answers. Your opinion matters!

 

Projekt pt. „Diagnoza systemów żywienia akademickiego w Polsce wraz z propozycją ich transformacji” realizowany na podstawie zlecenia Ministra z dnia 29 grudnia 2025 r., art. 404 ust. 1 ustawy z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 478, z późn. zm.).

Bibliography:

Crippa, M., Solazzo, E., Guizzardi, D., Monforti-Ferrario, F., Tubiello, F. N., & Leip, A. J. N. F. (2021). Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Nature food, 2(3), 198-209.

Dudek, M., & Śpiewak, R. (2022). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable food systems: Lessons learned for public policies? The case of Poland. Agriculture, 12(1), 61.

GUS 2025 Szkolnictwo wyższe w roku akademickim 2024/2025

Hoek, A. C., Malekpour, S., Raven, R., Court, E., & Byrne, E. (2021). Towards environmentally sustainable food systems: decision-making factors in sustainable food production and consumption. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 26, 610-626.

Krattenmacher, J., Casal, P., Dutkiewicz, J., Huchard, E., Sanders, E., Treich, N., ... & Twine, R. (2023). Universities should lead on the plant-based dietary transition. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(5), e354-e355.

Moser, S. C., & Fazey, I. (2021). If it is life we want: a prayer for the future (of the) university. Frontiers in Sustainability, 2, 662657.

Vermeulen, S. J., Campbell, B. M., & Ingram, J. S. (2012). Climate change and food systems. Annual review of environment and resources, 37, 195-222.

Wijerathna-Yapa, A., & Pathirana, R. (2022). Sustainable agro-food systems for addressing climate change and food security. Agriculture, 12(10), 1554.