Protect The Harvest | Students’ POV – “Labeled” Foods at Universities

Written By a Junior at Oklahoma State University Studying Agricultural Communications and Agribusiness

Free-range, cage-free and organic are labels we see every time we go to the grocery store. In addition, we see products promoting vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based alternatives on almost every aisle. All of these labels could be considered “food bullying,” as they market diets and food choices to people who likely do not know what they actually mean. Most people are just trying to go about their grocery shopping and do not research individual label claims. This issue is especially prevalent on college campuses which find themselves trying to cater to a wide variety of fad diets and “foodie” trends among the student body.

In my own personal experience attending Oklahoma State University, I do not feel these diets have been “pushed” onto me. However, I will note that plant-based, organic, and other labeled items are available at almost every dining option on campus. Included in those options are on-campus convenience stores which boast they sell plant-based meat options and organic produce to students. These products are all marketed as “healthier” alternatives to regular food.

Oklahoma State University is an agriculture-based university, which I thought would influence how “labeled” foods were presented on campus. For instance,