Stag Proudly Joins Zero Foodprint
Stag Dining Group is proud to be California’s first catering company to join Zero Foodprint (ZFP). We are investing in climate beneficial farming practices to offset greenhouse gas emissions across our entire brand family: Derby Cocktail Co. Cerf Club and Stag Dining Group. We do this along with a collective of thought-leading chefs and farmers that have built their reputations on delivering the best food with the best ingredients. We know first hand that a stable environment is required to deliver the quality and quantity of food that this world needs, and ZFP provides a way for Stag Dining Group and our guests to contribute to creating that environment. By routing 1% of our revenue to healthy soil initiatives, we begin to take action to protect our collective future.
As food & beverage businesses and patrons, we have a special responsibility—and opportunity—when it comes to addressing climate change. The global food system contributes to about half of all greenhouse gas emissions around the world. From agriculture (~13%) and deforestation (~18%) to food processing/storage/ manufacture/waste (~17%), it all adds up. Meanwhile, food and land use offer 15 of the top 25 solutions to climate change. The good news is that the problems in our food system into benefits may be the most practical way to reverse global warming. One demonstrated, attainable approach to the greenhouse gas problem is promoting healthy soils that sequester and thereby reduce carbon in our atmosphere. These are the projects that ZFP targets, via Restore California.
Farmers face financial challenges in making the transition to more sustainable farming practices. Restore California was launched in January 2020 to provide funds for that transition. The funds generated by participating food businesses and their patrons provide the financial resources for farmers to make the investment. Carbon farming involves practices such as compost application, cover cropping, managing the way cattle graze, crop rotation/polyculture, incorporating trees, hedgerows, perennial plants, etc. This initiative has been endorsed by the California Air Resource Board (CARB), The California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Current projects are listed publicly, and farmers can apply for funding as well as submit projects on the Restore California website.
Combating the climate crisis is not a pipe dream: it is feasible and more affordable than continuing down our current trajectory. We thank our clients and guests for joining us in this opportunity to participate and be part of the solution.
“A mere 2% increase in the carbon content of the planet’s soils could offset 100% of all greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere.”
