Shortly before noon, queues begin to form in front of the serving counters in the ZHAW canteens. Rice or potatoes, chicken or a vegan bowl: every choice made at the buffet is also a decision about the climate, even if nobody explicitly labels it as such.
In 2024, catering accounted for around 583 tonnes of CO₂-eq, making it the largest single contributor to the ZHAW’s resource accounting. As the chart shows, meat is responsible for the largest share of these emissions. To investigate how much of this impact can be reduced without guests feeling restricted or the operation incurring additional costs, the ZHAW conducted two living lab projects on its campuses.
Emissions from catering
Between public procurement and market pressures
The university is not entirely free to act in this area. As a cantonal institution, the ZHAW is required to put its canteen operations out to public tender and work with a catering provider that must meet commercial requirements. Meals must remain healthy, affordable and appealing – for students as well as for staff and external guests, all of whom have very different preferences.
Under these circumstances, a complete transition to an entirely plant-based range would be difficult to implement. The ZHAW Executive Board has therefore decided against adopting such an approach. Changes to catering cannot simply be imposed. Instead, they can only be tested and introduced gradually. Ultimately, whether measures are successful is reflected in the behaviour of guests.
The university as a living lab
This is precisely where the Farm to Table projects come in: a living lab run by the ZHAW, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the canteen operator ZFV. The research team and operational staff work closely with the external catering provider, kitchen personnel and suppliers.
This arrangement follows a strategic principle: the ZHAW sees itself as a real-world laboratory for social transformation, a place where sustainability is not only taught and researched, but also put to the test within its own operations.
Research takes place during the day-to-day running of the canteens, with real customers, real sales figures and the commercial realities of everyday operations. The initiative began in 2023 at the Toni Areal campus. The second phase at the Wädenswil campus went a step further: instead of a single test week, an entire semester became a testing ground.
Farm to Table 2.0
Less meat, more variety
The most effective measure was also the least conspicuous: for meat-based meals, the quantity of meat was capped at a defined maximum level, with the reduced portion replaced by other ingredients. Vegetarian and vegan dishes were also deliberately made more varied. A conscious decision was made not to actively promote the reduction in meat content, making it possible to observe how the guests responded naturally.
The result: the climate impact per meal sold fell. At the same time, the proportion of nutritionally balanced meals rose from around 14% to more than 40%. Sales figures and turnover remained stable, while customer satisfaction was also positive.
Reto Zuberbühler
Food & Beverage Developer, ZFV
“In dishes such as a ragout, we can increase the proportion of vegetables or replace part of the meat with a plant-based ingredient – not highly processed, but as natural as possible. This ensures that the protein content of the dishes remains high.”
When pricing becomes political
A second intervention examined whether demand can be influenced by price. Meals with a higher climate impact became more expensive, while dishes with a lower climate impact remained at the same price.
The response varied: at one campus, the changes were largely accepted, while at the other, turnover and sales declined noticeably. After just two of the seven weeks originally planned, the pricing intervention was therefore halted.
Subsequent discussions with guests revealed a more nuanced picture. The idea of linking menu prices to their climate impact was generally welcomed. Most criticism centred on the way it was implemented. For many, the surcharge felt less like an incentive and more like an additional financial burden. Moreover, as it was not made clear how any additional revenue would be used, some people felt patronised rather than informed.
Gianna Lazzarini
Co-Project Manager, ZHAW Institute of Natural Resource Sciences
“The findings on price sensitivity highlight the strength of living labs: the comparison between the two sites clearly illustrates just how much acceptance can vary depending on the guest profile.”
A regional addition: the WädiSnack
A third, smaller initiative introduced regional products from Wädenswil’s Schluchtalhof farm into the canteen offering: oat biscuits, dried apple rings and sweet apple juice. The idea was to make local value chains visible rather than merely talk about them. Demand for the two snacks remained modest, whereas the sweet apple juice proved far more popular than expected.
Aaron Ehrat
Operational Sustainability Manager, ZHAW sustainable
“There is no magic formula for sustainable catering. Farm to Table and our work in the university canteens did not deliver a one-size-fits-all blueprint. What they provided was a tested methodology – a foundation for the next steps in Wädenswil, on other campuses and in future tendering processes.”
There is no single recipe for success
Taken together, the Farm to Table Living Labs provide a meaningful picture of what is possible in university catering. Emissions can be significantly reduced while making the food offering more balanced and keeping prices affordable. Guests respond positively to changes that are not overly demonstrative and do not compromise value for money. Measures relating to price, by contrast, require careful monitoring, clear communication and time in order to gain acceptance.
This takes effort, and results vary from one location to another. It is precisely in highlighting these differences, rather than smoothing them over, that the value of a living lab lies. The ZHAW is incorporating these findings into the further development of its catering services together with catering partner ZFV, staff and students. The aim is to create insights that will also be useful beyond the university itself.
