An industry first: The Sustainable Foodservice Professional course is now live!

LEAF is thrilled to announce the launch of the Sustainable Foodservice Professional online program!

Working in the industry for the past 10 years, it became obvious to us that there was a gap. Often times restaurant owners and leadership had the best intentions and plans for how to make their restaurant more sustainable, but front line staff weren’t always equipped with the knowledge or skills to support that effort. Or sometimes, leaders themselves would make poor sustainability decisions, not having the foundational knowledge to make good ones. We knew we wanted to find a way to bring that foundational knowledge to the masses, in a convenient, inexpensive and accessible way.

For the past 3 years, LEAF has attended the Restaurants Canada Show in Toronto and had the pleasure of meetings hundreds of people in the industry, including instructors at Canada’s best Culinary and Hospitality schools and their students. Both instructors and students told us they were interested in having sustainability education to supplement their programs.

So, in 2019, we got to work. LEAF, in partnership with industry expert André LaRiviere of The Next Course™, has created an industry first: a ground-breaking online sustainability program for both Foodservice and Hospitality professionals, and Culinary and Hospitality students: The SUSTAINABLE FOODSERVICE PROFESSIONAL (SFP) CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.

With other global issues demanding urgent attention, there’s more change in store for the restaurant and hospitality industry, and the communities who support and sustain it. One smart way to prep for those challenges is to future-proof. 

The Sustainable Foodservice Professional (SFP) program provides inspiring e-learning experiences on best practices in future-proof sustainability principles across all aspects of foodservice & hospitality operations and management. 

Students learn how basic sustainable policies and adaptable practices provide the kind of resilience essential for businesses and careers. Featuring experts and leaders in the Culinary and Sustainability industries, the SFP Student Edition will help participants to add in-demand, strategic skills and enhance their career prospects. 

✔ Learn the foundations of a sustainable foodservice operation

✔ Reduce personal and professional environmental impact

✔ Rise to the top of the hiring pool

✔ Learn the skills that will save businesses money in reduced energy, water and waste!

Designed for mobile learning, the SFP Level 1 course combines inspiring videos, challenging quizzes and practical resources in bite-sized lessons, covering the essentials in five sections.  Each explores a particular set of choices every operation must make, from menu concepts, sourcing products and equipping kitchens to staff policies and customer communications; and outlines the many opportunities to embed future-proof policies and solutions into those options.

What students are saying about the SFP Student Edition:

“Great course, well produced and very inspiring. Loved the videos!”

“I understand sustainability in a deeper and more comprehensive way.”

“This course has inspired me to reduce my footprint and improve on sustainable practices.”

The SFP Level 1 Student Edition is available for individuals or groups:

Individual Student: $49 + HST

Groups (30+) for Culinary/Hospitality Programs: Starting at $949 + HST 

Take advantage of a Special 20% Introductory Discount Until June 2021

Visit SFPcertificate.ca for more information or to register.

LEAF's Guide to Canada's Greenest Restaurants 2019

VICTORIA, BC, APRIL 16, 2019 - LEAF’s annual Guide to Canada’s Greenest Restaurants showcases the growing importance of environmentally sustainable foodservice. With nearly 100 LEAF Certified facilities across Canada, from independent restaurants, to small cafes, and large campuses, the green movement is making an impact.  

LEAF Certified restaurants are distinguished because of their dedication to sustainability, including water and energy conservation, waste reduction and composting, and local or sustainable food offerings.

“Choosing to dine with a restaurant that cares about their environmental impact is helping create change in the foodservice industry and moving Canada towards a greener future,” says Janine Windsor, LEAF President and Founder.  

The updated list of LEAF certified restaurants includes Craft Beer Market, who won the 2019 LEAF Award for Most Improved and are LEAF certified in all of their seven locations across Canada. The 2019 LEAF Award for Greenest Restaurant went to to River Café in Calgary, who continue to raise the bar in their commitment to sustainability.

LEAF’s top six most sustainable restaurants in Canada are:

• Cafe Belong, Toronto, ON

• Locals Restaurant - Food from the Heart of the Island, Comox, BC;

• River Cafe, Calgary, AB;

• The Coup, Calgary, AB;

• Degrees, Winnipeg, MB;

• Chic Alors!, Quebec, QC.

As LEAF approaches ten years as a Canadian not-for-profit, green dining options are  steadily growing due to both consumer demand and increased industry awareness. This past year LEAF launched a successful plastic-free dining challenge, which encouraged all restaurants to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics.

“These are no small changes,” says Windsor. “It’s estimated that plastics take approximately 400 years to degrade, so eliminating common single-use items is an important step in reducing plastic waste.”

Consumers can support a more sustainable foodservice industry by visiting a LEAF Certified restaurant and encouraging local restaurants to become LEAF Certified.

Follow LEAF on Twitter @LEAF_Canada, on Instagram @LEAF_Canada, and on Facebook L.E.A.F

Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF) is Canada’s only nationwide, non-profit foodservice certification program. Established in 2009, LEAF helps restaurants reduce their environmental impact and makes it easy for patrons to identify green restaurants.  

Check out the guide below!

2019 LEAF Awards

On Feb 26th, the 2nd annual LEAF awards were handed out at the RC Show in Toronto. The theme this year was SustainABILITY - and focused on all interpretations of the word. Of course, environmental sustainability was a major focus, and attendees were treated to eco-related workshops, panel discussions, and the latest in eco products and services. It was fitting to round out the show by recognizing leaders in the sustainable foodservice industry. 

We thank all of the applicants to the 2019 LEAF Awards, and are proud of all of our LEAF-certified members that operate with sustainability in mind everyday. We applaud your commitment to the environment and your customers!

Award: Most Improved

Recipient: CRAFT Beer Market (Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa)

The LEAF program is not about perfection, but about continuous improvement in sustainability, and CRAFT Beer Market has demonstrated their commitment to doing just that. They have added four new plant-based menu items, reduced most single-use plastics, and continue to ensure excellence company wide by getting all locations LEAF Certified.

Award: Eco-Innovator


Recipient: A & W Canada

The Eco-Innovator award was open to any restaurant or foodservice facility in Canada that has demonstrated innovative solutions to sustainable challenges or raised the bar for the industry.

Quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) are notorious for being highly wasteful. A & W has made a number of sustainable efforts that have not yet been by such a large QSR company, thereby raising the bar for the industry and proving that it not only can, but should be done.

For their waste initiatives, plant-based burger and elimination of plastic straws, A & W Canada was deserving of the Eco-Innovator Award.

Award: Greenest Restaurant


Recipient: River Café, Calgary

In order to be eligible for this award, the finalists had to be Level 3 LEAF certified, which is our highest level, and is itself cause for recognition. However, this restaurant has demonstrated a commitment to sustainability long before they become LEAF certified in almost 10 years ago, and continues to stand out for their high performance in all of LEAF’s 10 Areas of Sustainability.

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the award this year. Your commitment to improvement in the sustainable foodservice industry is inspirational.

Congratulations to all of our winners!

LEAF: A look back at where we started, and where we are now.

The Dishwasher was rhythmically humming while the sink behind it filled up two industrial basins of water to thaw some chicken. Hood fans worked constantly over pre-heated fryers and flat tops that were cranked and working at full capacity. House lights were all on.

No one was in the restaurant though.

In the evenings, I’d melt ice in the bar sink by running hot water, and then scoop handful after handful of plastic straws and throw them in the garbage. It was a moment of awakening that I realized that the foodservice industry is incredibly wasteful. Foodservice has one of the largest carbon footprints of commercial operations, yet it is a driver of our economy and a past time for many. There had to be a way to improve the way we do things. I looked into what sustainability resources were available for foodservice establishments and found very little. The seed was planted, and after two years of research and development, a nationwide non-for-profit was launched that focused on reducing the environmental impact of the industry and certified restaurants that are operating more sustainably.

It was the community of like minded people around me who made the first steps possible. The emerging green movement in Calgary welcomed and supported my idea. Our pilot restaurant was River Cafe, a high-profile restaurant in Calgary whose owner shared our philosophy and passion for sustainability, while keeping us mindful of important considerations in a successful business. This like-mindedness was then discovered across Canada.

LEAF started with one restaurant in Calgary and has grown to what it is today, nearly 100 LEAF certified facilities across Canada, from independent restaurants to small cafes and campuses. We want to make a big impact on the world around us in terms of environmental efficiency and waste reduction, and help reverse the current environmental direction we’re headed. This is the passion that drives us daily. Wo do this in two ways: we educate restaurants about the benefits of sustainability, both environmental and financial, and provide guidance to improve their operations. And it goes far beyond local food. We look at everything from the menu, to the chemicals they use to clean, energy practices, water use, social policies and more. But we also engage in the consumer world where we help consumers find our LEAF certified restaurants so they can show their support and feel good about where they choose to eat.

We now have third-party auditors and LEAF certified restaurants in most major cities in Canada. The auditor’s role is to work within their communities to reduce the environmental impact of local restaurants, and improve their environmental and economic sustainability, which ultimately benefits the local community. A lot goes into a restaurant getting a LEAF sticker on their door. The places that have it are passionate about sustainability, their communities and people.

As a non-profit, we work hard at creating more awareness for LEAF and what it means, why it exists. We know people tend to feel better by eating somewhere they know is more sustainable. These people who feel that it is important tend to spread the word and it’s this organic growth that propels us forward. We use social networks to increase awareness of the restaurants that are doing good things, and then that relationship is continued face to face and off the network, when our audience visits a LEAF restaurant for a truly great experience.

How can you help? Reduce your own impact by refusing disposable plastics when you go out to eat, look for LEAF certified restaurants and encourage your local restaurants to get LEAF certified. If you work in the foodservice industry and want to improve the sustainability of your restaurant, get in touch!

LEAF launches Plastic-Free Dining Challenge

Photo by Placebo365/iStock / Getty Images

June 1, LEAF will launch our Plastic-Free Dining Challenge - a campaign aimed at addressing the use of single-use plastics in the foodservice industry and actively working to reduce them.

Plastics are entering our oceans at an alarming rate. According to Ocean Wise, an astonishing 86 per cent of all plastic packaging is used only once then discarded. It can take an estimated 400 or more years for plastics to degrade in the environment, meaning a large percentage of every peice that has ever been created, still remains. Read more here.

With the incredible success of recent movements like #StrawsSuck and #LastStrawToronto, the time is now to build on this momentum and look at ways to further reduce plastic pollution. We are asking you to join us in tackling the plastic pollution problem!

Restaurants and Foodservice facilities: Sign up here to participate in LEAF’s Plastic-Free Dining Challenge!

Not a restaurant? Encourage your favourite restaurant to join us!