Culinary programs nationwide are invited to submit their best ideas for this sixth-annual recognition program by April 1.

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) are accepting applications for the 2014 CAFÉ/Kendall College Green Award. This is the first national award to recognize secondary and postsecondary culinary-arts and baking/pastry programs for their commitment to teaching and practicing sustainability. Additionally, the winning program will receive a $1,000 cash prize plus complimentary registration to the 10th-Annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference, June 19-21, 2014, in Salt Lake City, where the award will be presented.

All secondary and postsecondary culinary-arts and baking/pastry programs in the United States, whether diploma- or degree-granting, are eligible. Selection criteria are based on the integration of sustainability into educational programs and operations.

“Kendall has dedicated itself to sustainability in its curriculum and campus operations since 2005, and the value we’ve reaped from sharing our knowledge with other educators and learning from them has been extremely gratifying,” says Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts. “By working with us to build this body of knowledge, foodservice educators throughout the United States now have many tools with which to impact the future of our industry and our world through our students.”

As U.S. fisheries rebound under strict federal management, more species earn Seafood Watch “green” and “yellow” rankings. Meanwhile, shrimp caught in Louisiana waters remains on the “Avoid” list.

U.S. fisheries are rebuilding under tough management regulations required under federal law. One sign of success: the growing number of seafood items that have earned a “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” recommendation from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.

In 2013 alone, red snapper from the Gulf of Mexico, monkfish and trap-caught black sea bass from the East Coast, and many Atlantic flatfishes have been upgraded, based on new data in the peer-reviewed science reports that underpin all Seafood Watch recommendations.

Today, 95% of the 242 most commercially important U.S. fishery species assessed by Seafood Watch are rated either green (Best Choice) or yellow (Good Alternative). The percentage is based on total landings in ports on the West Coast, Gulf Coast, Atlantic seaboard and in the Great Lakes.

Seafood Watch recently upgraded U.S.-caught red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico to a “Good Alternative” recommendation because sound management has helped once-depleted populations recover. Trap-caught black sea bass from the South Atlantic was also upgraded to a “Best Choice” recommendation.

Greener Fields Together™, which documents farms’ sustainability gains, lauds four well-known produce suppliers that were recently recognized for significant improvements in waste reduction, CO² emissions, water and energy use, and more.

More of the fresh produce headed to restaurant kitchens and grocery stores nationwide is now verifiably “greener” and more sustainably raised. This accomplishment is thanks to Greener Fields Together, the sustainability and local-produce initiative created by the PRO*ACT produce supply-chain management company, which works with partner farms to implement and track continuous, farm-to-fork sustainability improvements. Via independent verification service SureHarvest, Greener Fields Together has documented significant sustainability improvements made by four of its national farm partners: D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Mission Produce, Grimmway Farms and Rainier Fruit Company.

Detailed case studies evaluating and verifying strides made by these companies are now available on http://www.greenerfieldstogether.org/national_farms_featurettes.php. Highlights include:

D’Arrigo Bros. By merging several facilities into a single location situated in the heart of its farming fields, D’Arrigo saves an estimated 300,000 truck miles previously traveled each year to haul product from field to cooler. This is the equivalent of taking 123 cars off the road each year and cutting annual CO² emissions by 593 metric tons. By reducing travel time and distance from field to cooling facility, D’Arrigo also has improved product safety and quality.

Mission Produce. Mission has implemented an innovative, fully automated system to manage water and nutrients at its San Luis Obispo, Calif., avocado orchard. The system enables Mission to irrigate and fertilize precisely when and where the trees need it to optimize production using less water and fertilizer per unit. The company’s investment in water-management innovations has resulted in significant savings.

The Collins College of Hospitality Management breaks ground for LEED Gold-certified expansion.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona’s Collins College of Hospitality Management commenced construction of its $10 million building expansion during a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 7.

The 15,000-square-foot expansion includes two buildings and addresses the college’s growth needs in a sustainable way by striving to achieve LEED Gold certification. In addition to more classrooms and faculty workspace, the project will create a home base for the college’s three-year-old graduate program and a social space for students. Classrooms will utilize cutting-edge technology and innovative “flex” furniture designed to move and adapt to the evolving needs of today’s classroom. The project was designed by Ontario-based HMC Architects. Gilbane Building Company is the project’s construction management at-risk firm.

Through the company’s Green Thread® program, concessioner ARAMARK works to reduce its environmental footprint by developing and implementing long-term environmental stewardship programs and policies for its state- and national-park accounts, diverting nearly 3 million pounds of waste from landfills.

Each year, millions of people flock to America’s national parks, forests and state parks to enjoy our pristine natural resources. Keeping these visitors fed, sheltered and comfortable is a monumental task that normally results in the use of vast amounts of resources and leads to thousands of tons of waste.

ARAMARK Parks and Destinations, a leading concessioner of national and state parks and forests and cultural attractions, has taken the issue of waste head on and diverted nearly 3 million pounds of waste through recycling and composting over the past three years.

Through the company’s Green Thread® program, Philadelphia-based ARAMARK works to reduce its environmental footprint by developing and implementing longterm environmental stewardship programs and policies within the areas of food purchasing, supply chain, building operations, energy and water conservation, transportation and waste management.

“Preserving our natural spaces for future generations is a top priority for us,” says Allison Gosselin, director of environmental sustainability, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations. “Through our on-the-ground environmental stewards, partners and help from guests, we’ve been able to keep 2.8 million pounds of waste from reaching landfills since 2010.”