Gen Z’s environmentally conscious and ethical eating habits have transformed campus dining with abundant and delicious plant-based options.
By Leslie Ewing, PBFC Executive Director
It’s fall 2023, and university campuses are buzzing with students once again. Since freshmen tend to arrive on campus around the age of eighteen, that means this year’s incoming class was typically born in 2005 or 2006. This means that the youngest cohort of Gen Z has begun postsecondary education, and even the most seasoned, coffee-fueled graduate students are card-carrying members of Generation Z.
Study after study has shown that Generation Z is the most environmentally conscious generation, and they are developing this globally aware mindset at younger ages. And yet it’s still hard to overestimate the changes this generation has already brought to colleges and universities. Gen Z’s distinct food consumption habits and environmental attitudes have had huge ramifications for campus food providers.
At the recent International Plant Based Foods Working Group Summit, the passionate, well-educated Youth Forum panel participants unapologetically demanded a shift in global food systems. They eloquently advocated for urgent action in addressing the global climate crisis. Informed by their studies in law, political science and nutrition, these young scholars demonstrated an impressive knowledge and understanding of the frightening future implications for the status quo. These young people are already taking bold actions to promoting adoption of plant-based foods – and they’re still in school.
Recent NPD Group research suggests that Gen Zs associate their beliefs about the environment and animal welfare with plant-based eating. Another recent BritOn study (conducted for Plant-Based Foods of Canada) indicates that for Canadian Gen Zs, environmental concerns and personal beliefs are proportionately higher drivers of choice in their food consumption habits. In other words, younger folks are not just choosing plant-based foods because the Canada Food Guide recommends it!
Gen Z’s environmentalism and concerns for animal welfare, combined with their flair for digital advocacy on social issues, makes them a powerful societal force. Colleges and universities, eager to cater (literally, in this case) to the preferences of their students, are adapting their campus food options in response: The University of Guelph launched a certificate program in plant-based nutrition in 2021, the first of its kind in Canada. Some campuses, like UBC, have committed to offering plant-based options at every dining location.
The climate crisis is also inspiring student-led initiatives like the influential Plant-Based U group in the UK. That organization has led to seven British universities going fully plant-based. In their own words, Plant-Based U “support[s] students in an urgent call to action against the climate crisis” and aims to “reduce food systems emissions by shifting to sustainable plant-based menus on campus.”
Now, Plant-Based U’s Canadian members are seeking to bring those ambitious changes to this country. So far, they’re seeing remarkable success. Their “Canadian University Initiative” was launched in 2020 with universities in several provinces committing to increasing the number of plant-based meals in campus food services.
In just a few short years, those changes have expanded. Furthermore, more sustainable food services are now a selling point for universities as they compete for student admissions. From University of Victoria’s exclusively plant-based chili and ‘opt-in’ system for dairy cheese, to Concordia’s Sustainability Action Plan targeting a 30% reduction in animal-based elements of its food budget, the changes are clear and measurable. From Université de Montréal’s target of 33% vegan / 33% vegetarian offerings on daily menus, to the University of Western Ontario beating its own target that 40% of campus dining being plant-based, they’re also setting an impressive example.
That’s good progress already, but by no means will it be the end of their story. I believe these young leaders are just getting started in their efforts to change the postsecondary institution food landscape. As vocal Gen Zs reshape Canadian colleges and universities, they will expect to see their values reflected in their campus’ food service offerings.
In my view, this is a modern, plant-based update to a story that goes back generations -- young people demanding the change they wish to see in the world and using their powerful voices to bring it to their places of learning. And it’s so inspiring to see. Thanks to the dedication and passion of this new generation of students, plant-based diets are becoming more mainstream in universities, other food service establishments and retail shelves in Canada and around the world.