Core Principles

These 6 principles guide our work.

1. The Real Food Principle: Real food encompasses a concern for producers, consumers, communities, and the earth. We use this term to recognize that both the food system and the food movement must encompass and embrace a diversity of foci; "real food" represents a common ground where all relevant issues from human rights to environmental sustainability can converge.

2. The Movement Principle: The Real Food Challenge is part of a larger food movement, which itself is one facet of a global movement towards a just and sustainable world. We understand that true, lasting social change (a change in both people and structures) happens through social movements.

3. The Youth Principle: Young people in general (and students in particular) are, and will be, a driving force in this movement because of our collective ability to demand and achieve widespread structural and social change. A focus on students has further benefits and ripple effects due to our: economic power (directly and through their institutions), energy and creativity, high standards, influence on dominant culture, and eventual roles as decision-makers in the family and society.

4. The Partnership Principle: While students are vital to the movement, they should not go it alone. Collaboration with administration, dining services, producers, community groups, and other allies will be critical to this movement and important for reaching our goals.

5. The Multi-Cultural Principle: Many of the problems of our food system are problems of oppression, historical and current. The path of progress, therefore, involves dismantling oppression at all levels (personal, interpersonal, structural, and cultural) and building a multi-cultural movement which actually thrives on and utilizes difference.

6. The Participatory Principle: We seek to balance a drive for results with attention to how we get them. Believing the ends reflect the means, we seek a means that maximizes participatory planning, decision-making, and leadership structures. As a unique place for the different grassroots networks to meet and strategize together, central to the Real Food Challenge is creating an intentional space where all voices are heard and respected.