Petition is successful with 106 signatures
To: ALDO Cafeteria
Plant-based protein options & clear signage at every ALDO cafeteria station
Our Cafe actually just came out with a new 2020 menu, and they have plant-based options every day! At ALDO, we always strive to be inclusive and reduce our Carbon Footprint, therefore by offering more plant-based options every day at our Cafeteria we succeed in both.
OUR PROPOSAL
We're asking the ALDO cafeteria to provide its employees the same healthy menu items it always has - with the addition of (or replacement for) a daily plant-based protein offering that is free from animal products, in each of the serving stations as well as clear indications for allergens and intolerances.
At both the salad and sandwich stations, available at all times:
○ Tofu & tempeh
○ Meat alternatives (Lightlife, Gardein, etc)
○ Better offering of beans (red, black, kidney, chickpeas, lentils etc)
○ Better offering of grains (lentils, rice etc)
○ Better selection of nuts
At the regular menu station available at all times:
○ At least one option that can be made vegan
○ At least one option that can be made gluten-free
○ At least one vegetarian meal
At each station, provide clear indications on:
○ Options that are vegan
○ Options that are vegetarian
○ Options that are gluten-free (for gluten intolerance)
○ Options that contain dairy (for lactose intolerance)
○ Options that contain nuts (for allergies)
○ Options that are organic (if applicable)
Why is this important?
With the increasing global concern over climate change and the rise in sustainability as we've seen it within our own company (e.g. ALDO as a climate neutral certified company, Call It Spring going vegan, etc), it is important that businesses and consumers adapt by taking on a greener approach to their consumption habits, which should include food choices - here's why:
♦ For the environment
The animal agriculture industry is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gas emissions - facts that have been scientifically backed by:
○ Countless scientific studies, such as the most comprehensive study of the impact of our food choices by the University of Oxford:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-06-01-new-estimates-environmental-cost-food#
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46459714
○ The United Nations (Both in 2010 and 2019)
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49238749
○ Our 2019 Canadian Food Guide, which for the first time since the 1970s was backed by both nutrition & health experts, as well as by science-based data relative to the environment.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4873598/new-canada-food-guide-2019/
If our company wants to help its employees reduce their carbon footprint (and consequently, its own) it should offer adequate vegan & plant-based options within its cafeteria - which should be readily available and visible to all employees, in every cafeteria station.
♦ For the health of our employees -
○ Food trends have been changing lately, and so has our Canadian Food Guide - which was updated in January 2019 - with a strong emphasis on eating plant-based foods, and limiting foods with saturated fats and high sodium, which also happen to be the same categories that are high in cholesterol.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4873598/new-canada-food-guide-2019/
♦ For transparency on allergens and intolerances -
Lactose intolerance is amongst one of the most common food allergies around the world:
https://www.lactaid.ca/whos-affected.html
○ 90% of Asians
○ 75% of African Americans
○ 51% of Hipanics
○ 21% of Caucasians
Labels such as dairy-free, or gluten-free are becoming more and more of a necessity in order for restaurants and cafeterias to be transparent in their offering.
While most restaurants with a diverse and inclusive menu offer clear indications as to meals that contain dairy or gluten, the ALDO cafeteria could be more transparent and inclusive in its offering, allowing the employees to make conscious, nutritious food choices more easily.
How it will be delivered
This petition will be shared with the ALDO cafeteria to help them apply changes that will benefit the employees and the cafeteria itself, whilst reducing its carbon footprint.
Our hope is that the ALDO cafeteria adapts its offering by taking in these considerations so that every ALDO employee may enjoy a cafeteria that is more inclusive, transparent and that takes the environment into consideration.
