News Release

Bon Appétit Management Company

ESA Corporate Award winner 2005

Grant and Award Announcement

Ecological Society of America

On Monday 8 August 2005 the Ecological Society of America, at its 90th Annual Meeting in Montréal, will present its Corporate Award to Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO). The Corporate Award honors a company that incorporates sound ecological concepts, knowledge, and practices into planning and operating procedures.

"ESA commends Bon Appétit for its work leading to this award," said Dr. Kate Lathja, ESA member and Chair of the Corporate Award Subcommittee. "The company has incorporated many programs aimed at incorporating socially and environmentally responsible practices."

Bon Appétit is being recognized for its "Circle of Responsibility" program. Under this program, Bon Appétit has instituted a variety of environmentally responsible and sustainable practices. The "Circle of Responsibility" includes: Farm to Fork, a program to purchase ingredients from local farms or artisans; organic food options with at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients; options for fair trade, shade grown and organic coffees; operating as a beta-test site for biodegradable disposables made from renewable sources; recycling wherever possible; and whenever possible following Seafood Watch, a set of guidelines for purchasing sustainable seafood choices.

Also part of the "Circle of Responsibility," in December 2003 Bon Appétit announced a new purchasing policy for meat. Many meats contain non-therapeutic antibiotics, which are antibiotics provided through feed or water for promoting growth, weight gain, or other non-illness related treatments. In contrast, Bon Appétit encourages meat suppliers to administer antibiotics only when the animals were clearly in need of medication

The Bon Appétit programs promote the health of people and the environment. Simultaneously, Bon Appétit is raising awareness of its sustainable practices through joint programs with Environmental Defense, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, and other organizations.

Founded in 1987 in San Francisco Bon Appétit is an onsite custom restaurant company offering food service management by providing café and catering service to corporations, colleges and universities. The comapny will receive its award as part of the Opening Plenary at the ESA 90th Annual Meeting, which is being held jointly with the IX International Congress of Ecology.

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To learn more about Bon Appétit Management, visit: http://www.bamco.com/.

For more information about the Awards Ceremony and other ESA-INTECOL Meeting activities, visit: www.esa.org/montreal. The theme of the meeting is "Ecology at multiple scales," and some 4,000 scientists are expected to attend.

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is a scientific, non-profit, 9000-member organization founded in 1915. Through ESA reports, journals, membership research, and expert testimony to Congress, ESA seeks to promote the responsible application of ecological data and principles to the solution of environmental problems. ESA publishes four scientific, peer-reviewed journals: Ecology, Ecological Applications, Ecological Monographs, and Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. For more information about the Society visit www.esa.org.


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