Guidelines for University Food Policy

This chapter introduces the Guidelines for University Food Policy, developed as the third deliverable of the PPP-URB project within the OnFoods – Research and Innovation Network on Food and Nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security. The guidelines aim to support higher education institutions in promoting healthy, sustainable, and inclusive food systems by leveraging public and private procurement and short food value chains. Building on earlier research phases – including the mapping of ongoing university-based initiatives related to food, and a comparative analysis of best practices through both qualitative and quantitative desk research (ranging from local to international case studies, including those developed by the research teams involved) – the chapter provides universities with a strategic and operational framework to reconsider their role as living laboratories for food transition. Drawing on perspectives from design, management, and sustainability studies, the guidelines define shared goals, principles, and areas of action that connect campus food services with education, research, and community engagement. Particular emphasis is placed on co-design approaches involving students, faculty, staff, and external actors, ensuring that food policies are context-specific, inclusive, and measurable over time. In doing so, the guidelines contribute to positioning universities as key actors in urban food system transformation, in alignment with the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Food 2030 agenda.