The University of California, Berkeley just became the first US college to offer students
food from an organic certified kitchen. The
kitchen at the relatively new Crossroads dining commons was approved by the California Certified Organic Farmers, a
trade organization that issues certificates to state and local restaurants and businesses based on their compliance of
the USDA National Organic Program.
While some other universities do offer their students organic options, the certification of the Berkeley kitchen, which is separate from the other kitchens in the dining hall, means that every item served in their new organic salad bar is produced via environmentally sound farming practices. The certification process took about one year and the produce offered costs roughly 10 to 15% more than traditional produce. Some students reported that the food tasted the same as conventionally grown, while others thought it tasted better; the majority of the students who were aware that the certification had taken place were happy to see the change. Berkeley plans to offer more organic options in the future.
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