EBOM 2009 MRc5: Sustainable Purchasing—Food

The food purchased by the business renting the convention space is included in the scope of the project. The LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. Reference Guide makes it clear on page 294 that purchases from multiple tenants are included in the scope of the credit – while the businesses renting space may be doing so on a very short term basis, they are still purchasing food and beverages for use on the site. With that said, I understand that it would be very difficult to track these purchases (and all of the sustainability criteria details) as the purchases are not controlled by the owner/manager of the facility. On page 294, there is also guidance for excluding up to 10% of the project buildings total floor area, which gives you some leeway as you consider how to treat these conference spaces.

To document food harvested and produced within a 100-mile radius, I recommend first establishing the location of the harvest and/or production facility. This can be done via product detail or statement from the manufacturer. Next, I would explicitly show the distance from the harvest and/or production facility to the site by identifying those two locations and the distance between them on a map. Google Maps or Google Earth work well for this sort of measurement.

Best of luck to you!

thank you very much Natalie. Doesn´t seem like our credit then.

I think Natalie's reply on the issue of the outside catering is totally logical and its very likely that GBCI would agree. Certainly a company who brings in an outside catering service for their own functions in their own building must include those purchases in the credit calculation. However, I think there's an interesting counterargument that in this (admittedly rare) situation, the parallel is closer to that of an employee who brings lunch from home. This food purchasing situation is significantly more removed from the situation where a long-term tenant's purchasing choices must be included in purchasing data, because your tenants are by nature extremely short-term (and therefore totally outside the control of the building management, much like the individual food purchases of employees bringing lunch from home). It really falls neatly into the cracks between situations anticipated by the rating system. That being said, I wholly agree that Natalie's conclusion is the safest bet, but if you really had a case to make about purchases outside the catering service purchases, I might be tempted to try it. Of course, the above is based on a presumption on my part that the space-renters are contracting with a wide variety of outside/external caterers, rather than with a single catering service which operates in partnership with the building itself; in the latter instance, Natalie's recommendation is ironclad.

Hope that doesn't muddy the waters,

Dan

Thanks Dan. That´s an interesting point of view. But I reckon we are dropping this credit, though. Seems like too risky.

Iñigo.

Hi Andy, that is a very good question. I have yet to see any guidance on that issue. I think your suggested approach of % of sustainable ingredients would be a valid approach - perhaps that is worth a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide for your project. As documenting the % of ingredients that meet sustainability criteria will be very time consuming, I recommend performing some preliminary calculations in advance to see if you're likely to meet the 25% threshold. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Thank you Natalie. I will keep you posted on the CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide response.

John, I would  guess that this approach would probably not be considered sufficient, because there is no guarantee that the sustainable options are actually purchased proportionately. If you feel it is the only feasible option it may be worth a try, however.

John, I agree with Tristan’s insight above. The scope of the credit includes food and beverage purchases for the entire project building, so purchases made by the residents in the dormitory must be included. As with all other MR credits, you can exclude up to 10% of the project building’s total floor area from the calculation. If you choose to gather purchasing data from residents, follow the instructions in the LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. Reference Guide (pg 294) regarding estimating purchasing data for residents who do not provide purchasing data. Good luck with the vending machine enhancements!

Lori, it is a building-wide credit so you must include tenant purchases as well.

John, the AGMBC has been revised as of Oct. 31, 2011, so I would re-check what it says on this. But I would assume that it's only okay if it's on the list.

Perhaps the reasoning is that while most of the food consumed at a building might be purchased centrally, there is likely to be food consumed from other sources as well, and that would be unique to the building. But this is just a wild guess.

Amanda, I agree with your logic in most of the examples you gave. With the groceries purchased for eating in camp, I am not sure they should be included. Do they enter the building, or are they prepared there? It seems like they need to be related to the building in some way to be eligible.

I think to some extent you can interpret things as you need to, as long as you err on the side of inclusiveness, and overshoot the credit threshold.

These are great questions. USGBC is working to expand LEED to make it work better in non-U.S. situations like this, but at this point I don't know of any firm guidance that would allow you to earn the credit using these standards. You could try to do so, and document why the standards you're using should be allowed, but I'm not sure if there is any guarantee it will work.

Richard, unfortunate as it is, that is how it is. GBCI does insist that we use their forms, even  when it's a big pain. The only good thing is that USGBC is working to develop tools that will make this easier in the future.

Richard, I would also contact GBCI about this, since it's a practical issue with their forms, and since their rep gave you permission for this originally. They might be responsive to a request related to this.

Hi Jason,
If items were produced within 100 miles contribute to the sustainable cost.
Natalie

Thanks Natalie, but will it be ok if the source/raw material outside the 100 miles radius?

Jason, there is some grey area around this question. See the discussions above.

I just got a review comment about this on an EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. project, saying that not only does the food need to be extracted and processed within the 100-mile radius, but also the packaging as well. Not sure if this is just my review team, or if this is now official, but we got this review comment. Hope this helps, although I think it might prove as more work.

In keeping with other LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. credits where what vendors does matters (like the green cleaning credits), I would say that these purchases should probably be included.

Could the vending machine operator give a monthly sales figure? What are your other ideas for estimating the vending machine purchases?

Yeah that was my only idea - get a number/invoice (preferable) from the vending machine company and run with that. Sadly I think that most people completely disregard this credit for bigger projects where vending machines are status quo...

For this project it cannot however be overlook since the nearest food requires driving unless you are into lunch truck meals daily - speaking of that... I need to find out where that lunch truck food comes from!

If others have thoughts I'm curious to know how you've handled this credit.

Thanks Tristan

Matthew, I agree that vending machine food is included in the scope of the credit. Using the invoice from the Vendor is the most accurate way to account for the food.

I have seen vending machines that feature "healthy options" including organic products. Hopefully these options become more mainstream.

I don't see how this contributes to any LEED credits, since it's not about a purchase, and it's not about waste management, except for the best kind, i.e. prevention.

I am also doubtful that it could earn you a point under IOc1. Innovation credits must generally be comprehensive strategies, not just impelementation of a single technology, as you're doing here.

It strikes me as a good thing to do, but as sometimes happens, not something that LEED currently recognizes.

Good question. I am seeing the same thing. Not sure what's up with that.

Geoffrey, That seems like a credit form error. I suggest using the "Feedback" option on the MRc5 main page (right hand side) to send GBCI a message to inquire. In my experience, they respond quickly and resolve issues such as these with updated credit forms.

Good question! The extent of the documentation guidance in the Reference Guide is “retain documentation from product suppliers that verifies that the product(s) is organic or local.”

In the past, I have submitted invoices that indicate the sustainability criteria. Your suggestion of keeping product packaging would work as well – instead of keeping every piece of packaging, I would take a photo (and keep it on file) of the product package for each type of product that meets the criteria. You can submit a photo as documentation support.

I to am a little confused about how to document this credit. We are going to use organic catering to achieve this credit. What specific documentation do I need to get from the caterer? Is "Organic" always "USDA Organic"? If the caterer says their food is organic will they need to prove it and how?

Hi Yun,
To satisfy the documentation requirements, Project Teams need to include manufacture information regarding purchases of sustainable food. In the case of a caterer or food vendor, I suggest requesting that they provide product information that confirms that the product is USDA Certified Organic. “Organic” does not always mean USDA Certified Organic, which is the third party standard the credit references.
Hope that helps.

Hi Richard. I suggest comparing the Monterey BayA bay is a component of a standard, rectilinear building design. It is the open area defined by a building element such as columns or a window. Typically, there are multiple identical bays in succession. Aquarium guidelines to the Marine Stewardship Council program to determine the equivalence. If the program is equivalent, submit the CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide with the detailed analysis demonstrating such.

Joseph, fair question. I believe that food production has a significant impact on the environment and human health and wellbeing. That said, I will try and respond from an unbiased perspective. The triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) is at the core of USGBC’s intent to reduce the impact of the built environment on the planet and global population. The inclusion of food purchases in the LEED EB rating system is consistent with the inclusion of purchases of other consumable products: paper, electronics, FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System., etc. Purchases are included because of the impact of production on the environment in terms of depletion of natural resources (and the implicit social impact). Food is like all other products, the growth/harvest/production places a burden on the environment – land for growth, energy for production, carbon emissions for transportation, not to mention the effect of manufacturing byproducts in terms of pollution.

I agree with you, sustainable food purchasing is not a building thing – it is a people and environment thing. The choices made in the building impact the people and the environment.

Ah! Now I get it. It's really the same as consumable goods except you buy Food instead of Toner and Paper. Thank you so much for clearing that up.

I am also curious about this question. If we buy a pizza from a local restaurant, sandwiches at a local deli, or donuts at a nearby Dunkin Donuts... does that count as being produced within a 100-mile radius? The ingredients are probably from all over, but the final product was produced locally. Thanks.

I discussed this issue with Dan Ackerstein, one of the LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. experts who helped LEEDuser develop our EBOM advice.

He said the following:

The pizza example is a tough one but I think the act of uniting the ingredients [as in a local pizza restaurant] isn't 'production' - LEED's intent isn't to award fresh pizza vs frozen pizza. We want cheese, bread and tomato sauce produced locally. If the restaraunt gets frozen pizza's shipped in, it's clearly not local.

MRc5 is still hazy in a lot of ways - sort of an experiment. But I think for  folks pursuing this, its got to be about produce and protein.

Hello, we are certifying our company building in Spain. Are the spanish ecological certified labels valid for this credit?
Thanks in advance.

Oscar, we have been having a similar conversation about cleaning products on the IEQc3.3 forum.

The Spanish labels could be valid, but you would have to demonstrate that they are. As Shira Normal said on the IEQc3.3 forum:

I'd recommend submitting with the European products, providing tons of
supporting documentation verifying the sustainable characteristics of
the products and demonstrating the rigorous testing required for
products to earn the European eco labels. Also, submit any documentation
available illustrating how these labeling systems are comparable to or
more rigorous than the accepted American standards.

We are planning to have a tenant event this summer during our performance period. Are we eligible for this credit if we were to provide all locally grown/organic produce to the tenants during that event?

Yes, an event like this is enough to make you eligible for the credit.

I haven't recieved any comment or feedback regarding Ice as part of Food & Beverage purchasing. I would like to also add this comment as part of my inquiry. Ice is considered food and beverage by the health department because it is served in drinks. For this reason it must be handled lawfully and carefully as a food item.

Please Advise

Rey, I don't have specific experience with ice being tracked as a food and beverage purchase, but it seems like you have answered your own question. If it's considered food and beverage in your project building, purchases should probably be tracked for the purposes of this credit. I am also guessing it's likely the ice will be made locally and will thus help you earn the credit.

Rey, I've checked around and there is simply no reliable answer to this question right now from USGBC.

In the absence of guidance I would suggest a) ask GBCI about it, and/or b) choose a common-sense approach that you can justify.

Tristan's right - there is not an established process for setting up recertification performance periods right now. However, I'd recommend that, in the absence of a clear answer, you defer to the most recent published instructions from the LEED EB v2.0 Reference Guide. This would mean that your performance period essentially begins the day after you receive your initial LEED certification. In order to recertify, your performance period must then end within 5 years of that date. If your performance period ends later than 5 years from the initial date of certification, your current project would actually be considered a new project and you'd be required to provide full documentation for all credits.

Interesting challenge - Two thoughts come to mind: 1. Would it be feasible to use post-mark up prices for all your food items? That would solve this vendors problem, although it may create others elsewhere. 2. If this vendor purchase isn't a huge part of your overall purchasing, I think you could estimate his prices (he or someone in the industry would probably be willing to give you a rough % markup) and explain to the reviewer your process for doing so. If you estimate conservatively and your process for doing so is transparent, the odds of the reviewer agreeing with your approach increase significantly. Good luck with it!

Mark, the food being served by the catering company would most certainly be subject to the credit requirements.

Is part of your question about whether the catering labor counts? I am not 100% sure but I would say that like LEED's usual approach with MR credits, you'd have to separate out the cost of the labor and the  cost of the "materials," i.e. food.

If the food is regionally produced, that does count as a sustainability criterion.

"Less filling, tastes great, sustainable"?

Yes, you can definitely to do this. Keep in mind that the 25% threshold is or all food and beverage purchases together, so you don't have to buy it all in beer. Beer and local pretzels? Do they make organic beer at that plant? Double credit.

Thanks Tristan. It's something to think about. I'll work the numbers.

Similarly - we are within 20 miles of the Kona Brewing Company. I noticed some responses below that say "production source" is hazy. the hops are obviously not grown in Hawaii as we don't grow hops, however the beer is definitely brewed locally. Anyone have any ideas? the production is local, but the harvest of the organic materials is not.

John, as it is unclear whether or not the credit is meant to include the point of harvest, I defer to the Reference Guide: “purchases are produced within a 100-mile radius of the site”. As seen in the discussions below, this does leave room for project teams to consider including food items that are assembled/prepared within a 100-mile radius (sandwich, burrito, etc). As I work through this credit, for those questionable items, I ask: is the item produced OR assembled/prepared within 100-mile radius? If the there are significant resources/processes involved (and they occur locally), the item is produced locally and qualifies. However, if the process is a preparation/collection of ingredients (ex. burrito, sandwich, soup), the item is assembled locally and does not qualify. For instance, in the case of whole bean coffee that is harvested in Colombia (>100 miles) but roasted locally, the majority of the effort involved with the production occurs in Colombia, while the final touch of roasting (although crucial) occurs locally – I would not include this as a local product.

Hopefully in the future, there GBCI provides further clarification. For the time being, this point is left to interpretation.

I welcome thoughts/suggestions from anyone else who has a standard by which to make the distinction.