Know Your FoodPrint Campaign

In the Fall of 2008, the Sustainability Initiative collaborated with Dining Service, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and the Center for Health Education and Wellness to launch the Know Your FoodPrint Campaign. This communication campaign aims to raise awareness about the connection between our food choices and their environmental impacts.

Piloted in the Fresh Food Cafe, Know Your FoodPrint posters are displayed throughout the cafe to inform students about the campaign and to introduce them to the term foodprint. Closer to the food stations diners see a stoplight image illustrating the varying degrees of impact that different types of diets have on the environment. When diners are at the various food stations, or the point of decision, the lower foodprint option placards are prominently placed in front of the items that have a lower environmental impact. Additionally, facts about the environmental impacts of food production are placed at every table where diners have more time to read and become informed. The purpose of this campaign is not to dictate what individuals should or should not eat; instead, it is intended to raise awareness about the impact different foods have on the environment so people can make informed dietary decisions.

The Know Your FoodPrint Campaign will continue at the Fresh Food Cafe and will be rolled out at Nolan's Cafe in Fall 2009.