Seafood Watch

Dining Services is a partner of Seafood Watch, a program of California's Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. The program recommends which seafood to buy and/or avoid, helping consumers become advocates for environmentally friendly seafood. In September 2006, Dining Services eliminated Atlantic cod from its menu and instead served Pacific cod, haddock, and tilapia. Dining Services reduced the offering of farmed Atlantic salmon, and instead periodically serves wild Alaskan salmon. UMass is the first public university to participate in this program. In addition to switching to more environmentally friendly seafood, Dining Services will also make available guidance material in order to educate the student population about seafood sustainability.

"Be A Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown" agriculture program

The Be A Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown program is operated by the non-profit Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). Dining Services has dedicated about $150,000, or 15%, of its annual produce budget to this effort. The goal of "Be A Local Hero" campaign is to sustain farming by helping consumers find and purchase locally grown products, critical in western Massachusetts as farming has deep historical roots in this region.