Selling local, organic, and environmentally preferable food and merchandise options at games can have significant benefits to the health of fans and the environment. Consider consulting with your team’s current suppliers and vendors to determine the availability of more ecologically preferable ingredients and materials.

You may also want to consider including environmentally preferable food specifications in future contracts and requests for proposal with concession vendors, delivery services, or other food suppliers.

• U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) “Organic” products
• Zero trans fat
• Grown using more sustainable production practices
• Grown using reduced pesticides and fertilizers
• Grown using least-toxic pesticides and fertilizers
• Non-genetically modified organisms
• Meat, poultry, and dairy products raised and processed without hormones and antibiotics
• Fair trade, shade-grown coffee
• Free range and/or pasture-fed meat and poultry
• Locally grown
• Minimal packaging
• Products delivered in minimal, reusable, recyclable, or bio-based packaging

While food is one of the most important product categories to consider, stadiums sell a variety of additional products such as hats, programs, and other merchandise. Take the following attributes into consideration when contracting for the production and distribution of this merchandise:

• Products that are made using renewable energy
• Products with sustainably harvested wood (Forest Stewardship Council Certified)
• Products with no ozone depleting compounds
• Products that do not emit high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Products that contain the highest percentage of postconsumer recycled content feasible
• Products with minimal packaging
• Products that do not contain PVC or phthalates
• Suppliers that provide environmentally preferable products and can document the supply-chain impacts of their efforts

Dear _______,

The Toronto Blue Jays have initiated a policy to improve our environmental performance in all aspects of our operations. We would like to meet with you to discuss buying ecologically superior food products in more detail. We would also like to discuss ways to cost-effectively switch to less packaging, recyclable or reusable packaging within the next few years.

We would like to reduce as much as possible the harmful effects on the environment and public health that are associated with our operations, and we would like to speak with you about healthier and environmentally preferable alternatives to the food products and food packaging that we are currently using.

Please call me as soon as you can so that we can set a time for a meeting to pursue this discussion.

Very Truly Yours,

The Toronto Blue Jays have adopted an environmental policy to improve its environmental performance. To further these goals, food-related products and services contracted for by the Blue Jays will be evaluated in part on their health and environmental attributes. Specific factors to be considered include:

• Food products grown locally
• Food with zero trans fat
• Reduced Packaging
• Packaging made from recycled content
• Recyclable or reusable packaging
• Organic food
• Reduced pesticides and fertilizers, reduced hormones and antibiotics

Please address these concerns when submitting your proposals.

The food we eat has diverse impacts on human health and the environment. Agriculture is one of the leading sources of water pollution in the country, causing pesticides, sediment, and fertilizer to run into nearby rivers and streams, and the transportation of food contributes global warming and other forms of air pollution. Food packaging uses considerable amounts of paper and plastic, and discarded food fills up landfills and contributes to the release of methane gas into the atmosphere.

Bio-based product list
Bio-based distributor list
Detailed checklist of USDA Organic attributes
USDA Organic homepage
Sustainable farming practices
EPA – Pesticide Product Information System