The Culinary Institute of America now serves only Fair Trade coffee at its Hyde Park campus. Why?

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is now serving only Fair Trade coffee to students and staff at the Hyde Park, N.Y., campus. For years, the not-for-profit CIA has served Fair Trade-sourced coffee at the five restaurants on campus. Now a custom Fair Trade organic "Chef's Blend" coffee is being used in all the student and staff dining facilities, as well.

Fair Trade @ The CIA, a new student club on campus, raised awareness of the issue among fellow students, faculty and staff over the past few years. Through those students' efforts, the college's food-purchasing department sought out purveyors who could provide Fair Trade coffee in the quantities required on a college campus.

Seattle Culinary Academy and UMass Dining recognized for innovations in sustainability.

Kendall College in Chicago and the Annapolis, Md.-based Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) on June 24 presented the 2012 CAFÉ/Kendall College Green Award to Seattle Culinary Academy, a division of Seattle Central Community College, at the CAFÉ Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Chef-instructor Keijiro Miyata, CEC, CCE, AAC, accepted the award on behalf of Seattle Culinary Academy from Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts.

“Seattle Culinary Academy was one of the first culinary schools in the nation to offer formal coursework in sustainability, highlighting the value of local and seasonal sourcing,” Koetke said. “The program is exceptional because it integrates health and environmental sustainability throughout the educational experience.”

Thai Fresh Pea Soup is merely one delicious creation that capitalizes on the fresh bounty of the season.

In 1970, the first Earth Day was organized to promote environmental awareness and encourage stewardship of our natural resources. That first, massive grassroots movement by student demonstrators, schools and communities began with Senator Gaylord Nelson’s efforts to put environmental concerns on the political agenda.

More than ever, Americans today are making smarter choices to help keep Mother Earth “green.” The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is teaching the next generation of chefs to be stewards of the environment. The college’s green initiatives were recently featured on public radio’s Living on Earth. You can listen to the segment online here.

Now is a great time to “go green” in the kitchen. As our thoughts turn to gardening and farming, it’s time to turn over a new, green leaf. Farmers' markets are putting out their crops of the season.

McDonald’s celebrates innovations in energy savings, recycling and other environment-focused areas around the world.

Reusing air-conditioning condensation to water plants and clean. Repurposing advertising banners into fashionable tote bags. Recycling used cooking oil to power generators at a hospital. Today, Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. celebrates these and dozens more examples of passion and innovation in the 2012 Global Best of Green report.

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,500 locations serving approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries each day. Best of Green is a collection of best practices that focus on the environment and provide tangible positive impact for the company’s business and brand. The report illustrates progress in eight categories: energy, packaging, anti-littering, recycling, logistics, communications, green building and greening the workplace.

A combination high school, urban farm and environmental education center in Connecticut is leading the way as a model in healthy lifestyles for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

By Morgan Wotherspoon

For decades now, the idea of sustainable agriculture has been gaining momentum. Our country is looking for better ways to grow our food and eat healthy. Sustainable agriculture is a method of growing and raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, is more in tune with the environment, humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities. (Visit www.sustainabletable.org for more.)

Common Ground High School, Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center are taking this concept to the next level. This charter school in New Haven, Conn., is integrating sustainable farming, culinary arts and its school-lunch program. It’s a unique model for the future of high-school culinary-arts programs.