Almost 40 years ago, the Oldenburg Studentenwerk pioneered a daily meal based on a wholesome diet at the Uhlhornsweg canteen. The ingredients consisted of produce that was as fresh as possible, minimally processed and, in some cases, organic, and the meals were 100 per cent vegetarian. In 1983, this approach was virtually unique in the catering sector and laid the foundations early on for sustainable practices using organically produced food in the Studentenwerk Oldenburg’s university catering services. This course of action was continued: in 1992, a daily vegetarian main course was introduced in all canteens, and a vegan dish is now also offered every day.

As early as the 1980s, the Oldenburg Student Services Organisation was purchasing organic food, including vegetables. Partnerships established at that time with organic farms in the region paved the way for organic certification in 2004.

Since the launch of ‘fair trade Nicaragua coffee’ – sometimes referred to at the time as ‘solidarity coffee’ – all catering establishments have, for many years now, been serving exclusively coffee specialities made from fair trade coffee and espresso beans, which are also organically grown.

To this day, the principle remains: less is more! When selecting products, our purchasing department takes care to source, wherever possible, products that do not contain additives requiring labelling, such as preservatives and colourings.

Our eggs and egg products come from hens reared in species-appropriate free-range or organic conditions and therefore comply with trade classes O and I. For the hens, this means, amongst other things, year-round access to the outdoors, natural daylight, opportunities to scratch, the absence of genetic engineering and growth promoters, and no forced moulting of the birds.

Back in 1998, it was unusual to use meat from non-conventional livestock farming in institutional catering. Since then, we have sourced 100 per cent of our pork, beef, lamb and cold cuts from Neuland farms. Thanks to the high level of acceptance amongst our guests, we are not only able to contribute to significantly better animal welfare, but we also protect our environment by avoiding the use of imported feed and genetically modified organisms in animal feed. We have set out the strict criteria that apply to animal husbandry in our canteen FAQs.

Since 1998, we have been sourcing the milk, cream, sour cream, yoghurt and quark used in our businesses from an organic dairy in the Bremen area. Some of the cheese we use also comes from organic farms. An added bonus is that the products are mostly delivered in bulk containers, which helps to reduce packaging waste.

Although the Studentenwerk has been using organic produce since the 1980s, its catering outlets were finally certified in accordance with the EU Organic Regulation in 2004 and have been officially authorised to advertise using the organic label ever since. Annual inspections ensure that the strict criteria are met. The notices displayed in the catering outlets indicate which products are 100 per cent organically farmed. In recent years, around a third of the products we have sourced have come from organic farming.

Vegans can easily find something to eat during their breaks. Vegan sandwiches are a standard feature in all of the Studierendenwerk’s cafeterias.

The Studentenwerk has completely phased out palm oil, which was previously used for deep-frying – for example, to make chips. Instead, rapeseed and other vegetable oils are now used, as palm oil is usually not grown sustainably.

The “INTERNORGA Future Prize”, the hospitality industry’s most prestigious award in 2016, has been awarded to the Oldenburg Studentenwerk. The jury was particularly impressed by the fact that sustainability has played a key role at the Oldenburg Studentenwerk for decades: “The Oldenburg Studentenwerk demonstrates that sustainability and high quality can be combined with student-friendly pricing.”

Since December 2016, Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences has been authorised to call itself a Fairtrade University. The Oldenburg Student Services Organisation, which operates a canteen and a CaféLounge on the Emden campus, contributes to this not only on a daily basis by serving coffee, tea, sweets and cold drinks. To mark Fair Trade Week, it also organises an annual Fairtrade Canteen Day, on which a three-course meal made with Fairtrade ingredients is served.

Since the 2018/2019 winter term, our largest cafeteria has stopped using single-use packaging at the dessert and smoothie counter. By switching to reusable containers, around 28,000 single-use containers were saved in 2019 alone.

The Emden campus was the first site where hot drinks could be enjoyed in reusable, deposit-based cups. The Student Services’ own MoinCups are now in use as reusable cups at all our facilities.

Since April 2021, meals from all of the Studierendenwerk’s canteens can be taken home in REBOWL containers. This alternative to the reusable packaging available for a fee carries a deposit of just €5. This means that the use of REBOWLS is free of charge.

Since December 2021, the University of Oldenburg has been authorised to call itself a Fairtrade University. The Student Services Organisation makes its contribution primarily by sourcing fair trade products – such as tea, coffee, sweets and soft drinks – not only on a daily basis in the cafeterias and canteens, but also at special events held at the university.

Since March 2024, we have been using only reusable, deposit-based cups in the Uhlhornsweg cafeteria. The white ‘canteen mugs’ that have been the norm for decades have therefore been phased out.

Although these were intended for repeated use, their production is so energy-intensive that they only become environmentally sustainable after many, many uses. Unfortunately, the cups did not reach this lifespan, and were often not returned by our guests. As a result, the Studierendenwerk had to buy around 5,000 new ones every year.

Reusable cups with a deposit system therefore represent the more sensible alternative for us.
The deposit system was launched with cups from RECUP; at the end of 2025, we switched to reusable cups from the manufacturer Logi4Cup, which we call MoinCup.

In the summer of 2025, most of the Studierendenwerk’s canteens and cafeterias were awarded the new bronze organic logo. This makes Oldenburg one of the first Studierendenwerke to receive this certification.

What does the bronze seal mean?

The bronze organic seal indicates that between 20 and 49 per cent of the food served in the respective canteen or cafeteria comes from organic farming. This allows our guests to recognise our commitment to sustainable canteen operations at a glance.

The organic proportion is calculated based on the monetary value of goods purchased. Put simply, this means that if we spend 10 euros on food, at least 2 euros of that goes on organic products.

The following facilities are already certified:

• Uhlhornsweg Canteen
• Uhlhornsweg Cafeteria
• Wechloy Canteen
• CaféBars at the Haarentor Campus
• Ofener Straße canteen
• Wilhelmshaven canteen

As well as Bronze, there are also Silver (over 50 per cent) and Gold (over 90 per cent) levels for the proportion of organic food.

What difference does this make to the menu at the canteen/cafeteria?

In short: nothing. Organic food has long been part of our sustainability strategy – the new label simply makes this commitment more transparent and officially visible.

When was the new label actually introduced?

The legal basis for the new labels was only established in 2023 through a regulation with the rather lovely name ‘Organic Out-of-Home Catering Regulation’ (Bio-AHVV). That is why there aren’t many establishments bearing the label as yet. We’re proud to be among the pioneers in this field! Over 20 years ago, we were one of the first student services organisations to receive the state organic label. Now we’re delighted to be able to show our guests even more clearly just how important sustainability is to us in our canteen operations.