Moving toward a food system that is

local and community-based, fair, ecologically sound, and humane.

‘Real food’ encompasses a concern for producers, consumers, communities, and the earth, and represents a common ground where all relevant issues from human rights to environmental sustainability can converge. The Real Food Calculator offers a comprehensive and decisive definition for ‘real food’; sets a high standard upheld consistently among institutions; and supports users in setting quantitative goals and tracking their progress toward more real food on campus.

We define real food as food that fulfills at least one of four categories on the following pages…

1. The basics of the Real Food criteria
2. Real food is Local and Community-Based.
3. Real food is Fair.
4. Real food is Ecologically Sound.
5. Real food is Humane.