WHAT IS REAL FOOD?
Real food is sourced food products that are fair, local, ecologically sound, and humane.
REAL FOOD AT UMASS AMHERST
In 2013, UMass committed to the Real Food Challenge which obligated UMass to purchase 20% real food by 2020.
EXAMPLE REAL FOOD SUPPLIERS AT UMASS AMHERST
Mapleline Farm
Atlas Farm
Queen’s Greens
FreshPoint
Little Leaf Farm
Reed Farm
POURING RIGHTS
Pouring rights are the exclusive right of a beverage company to supply and market its products on a college campus.
POURING RIGHTS AT UMASS AMHERST
UMass has a contract with Coca Cola that is expected to be renewed August 1, 2019 for an additional five years. Highlights of the contract include:
· “Local Competitive Products” can be provided as long as they don’t take up more than 20% of the total beverage shelf space in any outlet on Campus, which must be matched with the corresponding product of Coca Cola’s
· Kickback money for using Coca Cola Vending Machines
· $6,000,000 in sponsorship fees to the University over a ten year period
THE PROBLEM WITH POURING RIGHTS
Pouring Rights are problematic for a couple reasons:
· Limits democratic participation, by exclusively giving a monopoly over the provision of beverage products and the marketing of them — leaving little room for other options if the students demand it
· Allies with a company that does not meet real food criteria
The PROBLEM WITH COCA COLA
Coca Cola is problematic for several reasons:
· The company is severely limiting the water supply in areas with production facilities — as a result OVER ONE MILLION traders are boycotting the company
· The company is among the worst plastic polluters on the planet
· In January 2019, Coca Cola fired hundreds of workers in a Colombian plant to suppress worker power — this decision will force remaining workers to labor 16 hours per day
THE PROMISE OF ENDING THE CONTRACT
Without the contract, UMass Amherst can source beverage products that meet the real food standards and match with the values of UMass Amherst. For example, UMass Dining proclaims: “Our sustainable practices not only benefit our campus, but our global community as a whole.” By ending the contract, UMass Amherst can live up to this vision.
BARRIERS TO ENDING THE CONTRACT
To switch away comfortably from Coca Cola, the campus needs alternative beverage providers and needs to supplement the lost money from the contact.
ADDRESSING THE BARRIERS
If UMass Amherst commits to move on from the contract it will likely partake in a bidding process with other providers or independently purchase beverage products. New suppliers would have to meet real food criteria. Also, close to 20,000 students on campus have a meal plan. Thus, there is a significant market for companies that meet the real food criteria to sell their products.
Furthermore, the loss of at least $6 million dollars over a ten-year period is another hole that university would need to fill. Over a year this amounts to about $600,000. Putting this in context, UMass Dining alone brings in over $85 million in revenues per year. The administration’s expected concern over a relatively small amount of money is a symptom of the decades long trend of declining state funds to UMass. By recognizing this link between the need sponsorship funds and declining state funds, admin can have the opportunity to be advocates for greater state funding such as through the CHERISH Act which would bring in over $100 million dollars to the campus per year.
HOPE
In 2015, students from San Francisco State University successfully pushed the university to sever its ties with Coca Cola. Students were able to achieve this despite the million of dollars the company planned to pay the university.
Students at other universities across the country such as Johns Hopkins are also trying to end their pouring rights contracts too.
There is a PETITION TO EXPRESS STUDENT DISCONTENT AROUND THE CONTRACT
