At St Anne’s, we are committed to sustainability and our collective responsibility to preserving the environment. As part of this, we run a Green Action Week in 6th Week of every Hilary Term, with the goal of encouraging students and staff alike to consider how their choices impact the environment — and how we can do better.
One of the key ways in which we have been minimising our environmental impact has been through the food we serve in Hall.
Our Head Chef, Ben Gibbons, and Domestic Bursar, John Banbrook, have been working closely over the last six months with the OxFarmToFork initiative, which has now expanded into 18 Oxford Colleges. The initiative, run by Good Food Oxfordshire, “support[s] farmers to work the land agroecologically, and has established a procurement platform to enable farmers, growers and producers to sell directly into Oxford institutions.” It allows for short food supply chains which support the local economy and community, provides fresher food and reduces waste, and reduces food miles.
More information can be found here.
Ben and the Catering Team have also put together a rating system for all menu options, showing their carbon footprint and impact upon the environment. Not only are vegetarian and vegan options always available, but the Catering Team now display an A, B, C rating for each option, helping us to make an informed choice. As with many of Ben’s sustainability initiatives, we are the first Oxford college to adopt this system.
The JCR, for their part, will be running a clothes swap to help encourage the re-use and recycling of items — an easy way to refresh your wardrobe while also doing your bit for sustainability!