We are a group of concerned students, staff, and alumni at the University of Toronto. We are writing to address recent changes across New College, Chestnut, and Campus One dining halls. Despite a series of student protests in favour of food affordability, Food Services has introduced enormous price increases for food in our dining halls. Without warning and against the wishes of students as well as the recommendations of external consultants, they have reintroduced pay-per-weight ($2.89/100g) on all breakfast, lunch, dinner entrees, as well as foods like pizza and salad. Students only have $25/day to spend on food, yet a single meal at residence now approaches $20 without snacks or drinks. The pay-per-weight system means that regardless of what students choose to eat (rice, vegetables, tofu, animal protein) they are now charged the same amount for all entrée items in the dining hall. Surprisingly, students now pay-per-weight for things like chicken bones, salad dressing, or syrup for pancakes! 

Prices have increased, yet the variety and quality of food in the dining hall has declined tremendously. These dining halls previously had different menus for lunch and dinner over a 6-week cycle; students now eat the same entree for both meals for 4 days of the week. Continuing a practice commenced during COVID-19, sandwiches, salads, and soups are no longer produced by Food Services. Instead, students are now served high-priced, industrially produced food, prepared by external kitchens outside the university. Higher quality products such as Camino Fair Trade Chocolate, Haagen Dazs ice cream, and Pluck teas have all been removed and replaced with lower quality items. While other universities like McGill change their dining halls to all-you-care-to-eat and UBC transitions to Oceanwise seafood certification, Food Services cannot seem to stop gigantic price increases each and every year.  

Our call for immediate action is simple:  
1. Elimination of the Pay-Per-Weight Model: Introduce set portion sizes and fixed prices as seen at the pan station, and as seen for the past three years in response to student requests.
2. Significant Reduction of Overall Prices: Ensure that students can afford three consistent and nutritious meals for $25/per day. 
3. Reintroduction of Combo Options: For all entrees, sandwiches, and pizza. 
4. Intentional Pricing Scheme: Encourage students to prioritize nutritious meals with a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 
5. Allow unlimited carry-over: Students are now forced to spend most of their money by the end of the year. Allow them to carry it over for future years. 
6. Reimplement more variety: 14 different entrees per week (different meal for lunch and dinner each day) as opposed to 2 entrees per week currently. 

We have been here before. Students and staff campaigned loudly against the declining balance model: they voiced concerns about food insecurity​, equity​, healthy food​, sustainability, and even the inability to carry over money for future years. Chestnut and New College previously had an all-you-care-to-eat model that was changed without warning or consultation in 2020. Students signed petitions (here​, here, and here), organized a strike, sent an open letter to Meric Gertler, and spoke strongly to senior administrators as seen in minutes from the Chestnut Residence Food Committee. Food Services staff acknowledged their mistakes previously – during student protests in 2020 they removed pay-per-weight​, gave combo options, and lowered prices across a number of items.  

It seems that senior leadership at the University of Toronto continues to ignore the challenges faced by the student community, so please help amplify our voice and push the university to feed students affordable, diverse, delicious, and sustainable food on campus.