UVA Dine

UVA Dine

Food is the single largest contributor to UVA's nitrogen footprint, accounting for roughly 50–70% of the University's total. This makes our partnership with UVA Dine one of the most important collaborations the NWG has, both for understanding the scope of UVA's footprint and for reducing it.

Reactive nitrogen enters the food system primarily through agricultural fertilizer use and animal byproducts, meaning that what we eat , and how it's produced, has a direct impact on nitrogen pollution. Shifting toward plant-forward diets is one of the most effective ways we can lower our personal nitrogen footprint, and it's a value UVA Dine shares.

Footprint Tracking

UVA Dine is essential to the NWG's nitrogen footprint calculations. By providing detailed data on UVA's food purchases that is broken down by vendor, they allow the NWG Data Team to calculate the University's food-related nitrogen footprint using SIMAP. This data is foundational to tracking UVA's progress toward its goal of a 30% reduction by 2030.

Outreach & Events

The NWG collaborates with UVA Dine On-Grounds events that promote sustainable, plant-forward eating as a means of reducing nitrogen pollution. Most recently, we joined UVA Dine at their Earth Day event to connect students with the link between food choices and environmental impact.

The Power of Nitrogen: Sweet Potatoes - October Taste Cart Ingredient