YESAction Initiatives
YESFood
YESFood
Growing food sustainably and reducing the environmental footprint of what we eat.
The Problem We're Solving
Food systems are a major driver of environmental impact, from the water and land used to grow crops to the emissions created by food waste and transportation. Yet most students have little hands-on experience growing food or understanding where their meals actually come from. Most people often default to consuming heavily processed, high-waste options, and food waste itself is rarely tracked or addressed. At the same time, gardening and cooking are some of the most tangible, rewarding ways for young people to connect with sustainability, offering a direct link between everyday choices and environmental impact.
Foundation
Every chapter participating in YES Food should:
Start or maintain a small garden at school (even a few raised beds or containers count) growing herbs, vegetables, or produce, and involve fellow students in planting, tending, and harvesting so it becomes a shared, hands-on project rather than something only a few members touch.
Use the harvest for a visible purpose: a cooking demo, a taste test, a donation to a local food bank, or a fundraising farmers market so the effort has a clear payoff.
This foundation alone builds environmental literacy at scale. Most people don't need to be convinced sustainability matters — they need to be shown exactly what to do about it.
Going Further
Chapters that want to extend their impact can:
Run cooking workshops focused on plant-forward, low-waste, or seasonal recipes, and start a cafeteria food-waste tracking or "share table" program to redirect edible surplus food.
Partner with a local farm, community garden, or food bank to extend impact beyond your own campus.
Awareness alone rarely changes behavior — repetition and community accountability do. Pairing consistent online content with real-world touchpoints turns passive followers into people who've actually changed a habit, not just read about one.
How We Support You
YES Action is here to help. Chapters working on YES Food can reach out to us for:
Guidance on starting a school garden, including low-cost and low-space options
Simple, kid-friendly recipes suited for group cooking demos
Advice on setting up food donation or share-table programs
Connections to chapters running successful garden or food-waste projects
Recognition
As we roll out our chapter recognition system, your chapter's participation in YES Food will count toward your standing. Chapters that start and maintain a school garden with a visible harvest outcome — and those that go further by launching cooking workshops or food donation programs — will earn higher recognition.
