“Cal Dining, Stop Lying” Protest for Transparency at UC Berkeley

Cal Dining is spreading misinformation to deceive students about ethical food in the dining halls.

Here are some of the lies they’ve told:
1) On their website, Cal Dining claims that they prioritize buying from “producers that practice environmental and social responsibility.” However, Cal Dining regularly buys from major corporations that use factory farms and slaughterhouses that have been exposed for criminal animal abuse, workers rights violations, and mass pollution.
2) On their website, Cal Dining claims that they value transparency. However, they routinely make false and deceptive statements and they only list a few of their suppliers on their website. Specifically, they list suppliers that tout their own lies, such as being humane and sustainable. Suppliers that don’t have a good reputation, like Hormel, are not given a place on their website. Selective transparency is not transparency, it is deception.
3) In a recent Daily Cal article, UC Berkeley claimed that they dropped Tyson Foods prior to the fall 2022 semester. However, we have email evidence that they were actively buying from Tyson, with no immediate plans to cut ties, in the middle of fall semester. We currently do not know whether they have dropped Tyson or not because Cal Dining is refusing to reply to our emails and offer clarity.

As students, we pay thousands of dollars to attend this university and they have the nerve to lie to us. Cal Dining’s conduct is outrageous and shameful. Join us for this protest to voice your concerns and demand transparency.

Signs and other materials will be provided.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 23 at noon
WHERE: Upper Sproul
WHY: To demand transparency about ethical food from our school
Everyone is welcome as long as they adhere to Direct Action Everywhere’s values (i.e. nonviolence).