Comments on: Green Eats http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/ Making green business the new business as usual Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:07:39 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Greg Andeck http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-171 Greg Andeck Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:13:52 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-171 Hi Marah, Thanks for your comment. EDF's Green Dining Best Practices focus on the major environmental issues associated with food production and facility operation given our expertise on the environment. There are many other dimensions of food production that are important for companies and consumers to consider, including animal welfare, labor rights, and economic development. We recommend that companies and consumers consult with groups that have expertise in those areas to identify appropriate best practices. Regards, Greg Hi Marah,

Thanks for your comment. EDF's Green Dining Best Practices focus on the major environmental issues associated with food production and facility operation given our expertise on the environment. There are many other dimensions of food production that are important for companies and consumers to consider, including animal welfare, labor rights, and economic development. We recommend that companies and consumers consult with groups that have expertise in those areas to identify appropriate best practices.

Regards, Greg

]]> By: Greg Andeck http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Greg Andeck Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:02:20 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-169 Hi Tawnya, Thanks for the good question. EDF's Green Dining Best Practices represent an easy-to-understand set of recommendations that dining managers can use to make their food and operations more environmentally friendly. It is not a certification program or endorser of individual facilities. Fortunately, to help consumers, the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) and Green Seal have developed "seals of approval" for restaurants that can help consumers make better decisions about which dining locations they frequent. These two programs have implemented many, but not all, of the Green Dining Best Practices into their rating systems. Best, Greg Hi Tawnya,

Thanks for the good question. EDF's Green Dining Best Practices represent an easy-to-understand set of recommendations that dining managers can use to make their food and operations more environmentally friendly. It is not a certification program or endorser of individual facilities. Fortunately, to help consumers, the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) and Green Seal have developed "seals of approval" for restaurants that can help consumers make better decisions about which dining locations they frequent. These two programs have implemented many, but not all, of the Green Dining Best Practices into their rating systems.

Best, Greg

]]> By: Marah Fogler http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Marah Fogler Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:58:14 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-168 You should include cage free eggs in your dairy list. Factory eggs are produced in the most inhumane ways imaginable, both for the hens and the male baby chicks (cruelly crushed per the factory norm). You should include cage free eggs in your dairy list. Factory eggs are produced in the most inhumane ways imaginable, both for the hens and the male baby chicks (cruelly crushed per the factory norm).

]]> By: Tawnya Snyder http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Tawnya Snyder Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:40:50 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-167 Is there a place on this website where I can see which particular restaurants get your seal of approval for sustainability/green practices? Thanks, Tawnya Is there a place on this website where I can see which particular restaurants get your seal of approval for sustainability/green practices?
Thanks,
Tawnya

]]> By: Greg Andeck http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Greg Andeck Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:06:52 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-37 Bob, Great point. To really achieve widespread transformation and adoption within the marketplace, supply and demand need to reach a healthy level so that the sustainable options are also cost effective ones. What we were able to show in our pilot projects, however, is that it's not necessary to wait until more sustainable food is at the same price as conventional food. Companies can find a buckets of savings in their operations and food purchase decisions to make up for any incremental premium pricing of some items. This is what we mean by "No Net Cost." -Greg Andeck Bob,

Great point. To really achieve widespread transformation and adoption within the marketplace, supply and demand need to reach a healthy level so that the sustainable options are also cost effective ones. What we were able to show in our pilot projects, however, is that it's not necessary to wait until more sustainable food is at the same price as conventional food. Companies can find a buckets of savings in their operations and food purchase decisions to make up for any incremental premium pricing of some items. This is what we mean by "No Net Cost."

-Greg Andeck

]]> By: Bob Langert http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Bob Langert Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:58:43 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/innovation/2009/06/23/green-eats/#comment-36 Greg, I fully support your first point, except I would recommend reconsidering sentence from sustainable food "doesn't have to be more expensive" to "sustainable food shouldn't be more expensive." Our work within McDonald's is to put sustainability factors in the same mix as other purchasing factors. It isn't a magic, easy formula, but the vision is to provide great tasting food that is sustainable, too. Sustainable food should be at a critical, mass, and mainstream level, not a niche, premium approach. Bob Langert, VP, CSR, McDonald's Greg, I fully support your first point, except I would recommend reconsidering sentence from sustainable food "doesn't have to be more expensive" to "sustainable food shouldn't be more expensive." Our work within McDonald's is to put sustainability factors in the same mix as other purchasing factors. It isn't a magic, easy formula, but the vision is to provide great tasting food that is sustainable, too. Sustainable food should be at a critical, mass, and mainstream level, not a niche, premium approach.

Bob Langert, VP, CSR, McDonald's

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