College Students Demand Organic

"CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- If a meal of heritage turkey breast, roasted root vegetables and organic milk sounds like dorm food, you must be a member of Generation Y. University grub has come a long way from sloppy Joes and french fries.

College students, increasingly concerned about the source and quality of food they're eating, are demanding that schools purchase regional produce. That's forced major food-service companies to scramble for grass-roots alternatives -- and allowed some nimble regional rivals with good local connections to elbow their way into the $5 billion on-campus-dining market.

"There are so many organizations and different groups that have a cause," said Christy Cook, sustainability coordinator-Southeast region at Sodexho, a $7.3 billion company that also services health-care, government and corporate institutions. "One of the biggest trends I've seen is people are looking for more locally sourced produce, supporting the community and the farmers."

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