Advancing Sustainable Food Supply Chain Stewardship Across The University of California

Brought to you by SPLC and our Higher Ed Partner NAEP

The University of California is making significant strides toward its goal of sourcing 25 percent of its food from sustainable sources by 2030 through the UC Global Climate Leadership Council’s Sustainable Food Sourcing Project. This initiative is not only transforming food procurement across UC campuses but also having a profound impact on California’s agricultural and food systems by strengthening relationships with farmers, producers, and supply chains. The two main goals of the project are to:

• Advance the expansion of sourcing from sustainable food producers and enterprises in UC food service operations.
• Assess the key barriers and introduce recommendations for improving overall reporting and sourcing practices that integrate strategic systemwide sourcing and campus-specific secondary contracts and data collection.

This webinar will highlight key findings of the multi-phase UC wide project engaging Health Centers, Campuses, and supply chains in California and beyond. Insights will include structural challenges and limits to addressing sustainability goals in the marketplace as well as interventions that can accelerate efforts in procurement and sourcing to achieve institutional policy goals.

Presenters:

Agnes Martelet, Associate Sustainability Director, UC Office of the President

As an Associate Director of Sustainability at UC Office of the President, Agnes supports the implementation of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy by coordinating the efforts of eight UC systemwide sustainability working groups that address sustainability policies, projects, and initiatives related to food, water, waste, procurement, healthcare, health and wellbeing, and laboratories. Agnes has over 15 years of experience leading complex environmental and sustainability projects and programs, including climate action and adaptation, sustainable food, supply chain sustainability and GHG emissions, water and storm water management, waste reduction and recycling, hazardous materials management, watershed planning, and ecological restoration. Agnes has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning.

Marilyn Biscotti, Senior Category Manager –Hospitality & Foodservice, UC Office of the President

As Senior Manager, Hospitality & Foodservice at University of California, Office of the President (UCOP).  Marilyn has twenty-five plus years working in foodservice from manufacturing; procurement; supply chain; and distribution channels, having worked for Pillsbury, Kraft Foods, and Heinz.  Marilyn was Director Shared Services at Universal Studios Hollywood; Vice President of Johnny Rockets (Worldwide); and Executive Director at Magna Entertainment Corporation in Aurora, Canada.  At UCOP, Marilyn creates, negotiates, and manages systemwide contracts for UC Campuses while providing these synergies to UC Medical and CSU locations.  While presenting, initiating, and implementing UC sustainability initiatives and economically socially responsible (small business & diverse) goals with the UC locations, Marilyn works on special projects to provide opportunities for vendors to get-in-the door through community outreach programs mentoring Farmers and Food Hubs. These programs are created through her director role with UC’s Global Climate Leadership Council (GCLC).

Tim Galarneau, Food Systems Program Manager, Center for Agroecology

Tim Galarneau works with students, producers, chefs, and supply chains across California and beyond to advance regional, seasonal, and small to mid scale under invested producer and enterprise relationships across the food system. Tim serves as the regional lead across 14 counties and the multi-state Technical Assistance Working Group lead for the USDA's Southwest Regional Food Business Center. At the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology he oversees a team of staff and students working from the field to the plate in re-envisioning access to delicious and nourishing food for all. In addition, Tim’s work advances systemwide basic needs efforts across campuses, intersegmental engagement, and nationally. He is a co-founder of the Real Food Challenge and a board advisor to the national movement non-profit amidst other community engaged advisory efforts.