Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) has established an institutional policy to support the procurement and provision of food derived from responsible and sustainable farming practices.

Through Circular Letter No. 9017/J/SA/IX/2025, UNISSULA requires university units, food providers, and relevant third parties to ensure that agricultural food products used or sold within the university are prioritised from sources that apply sustainable farming practices.

The policy connects campus food procurement with responsible management of soil, water, natural resources, biodiversity, agricultural inputs, local sourcing, and supply-chain traceability.

It applies across the university food-service environment, including university units, canteens, catering providers, vendors, and other third parties providing food within UNISSULA.

Institutional Policy for Sustainably Farmed Food

UNISSULA’s policy establishes sustainable farming as a consideration in institutional food sourcing.

Circular Letter No. 9017/J/SA/IX/2025 states that agricultural food products used or sold within the university should be prioritised from sources implementing sustainable agricultural practices.

This provides an institutional basis for linking food consumed on campus with the environmental conditions under which agricultural products are produced.

The policy therefore addresses not only the final food product but also its agricultural origin and the farming practices associated with its production.

Responsible Management of Soil, Water, and Natural Resources

Sustainable agriculture depends on maintaining the environmental resources needed for food production.

UNISSULA’s policy specifies that agricultural food should be sourced from producers applying responsible management of:

• Soil;
• Water; and
• Natural resources.

The policy further requires consideration of environmental sustainability in the management of these resources.

This approach recognises that sustainable food procurement is closely connected with the long-term condition of agricultural land and the natural resources supporting food production.

Reducing Harmful Agricultural Inputs

UNISSULA also addresses the environmental impact of agricultural inputs.

The policy prioritises food products originating from farming practices that reduce the use of:

• Pesticides;
• Chemical fertilisers; and
• Other substances that may damage soil, biodiversity, or the environment.

These requirements are expressly included in the institutional policy.

By incorporating these considerations into food procurement, UNISSULA supports agricultural practices that seek to reduce environmental pressure from food production.

Protecting Soil and Biodiversity

The policy connects food sourcing with broader ecosystem protection.

Agricultural practices that rely excessively on damaging chemical inputs can affect soil quality, surrounding ecosystems, and biological diversity.

UNISSULA therefore incorporates soil protection and biodiversity protection into its sustainable food-sourcing approach.

Food procurement is encouraged to favour agricultural sources whose production practices reduce potential damage to:

Soil → Biodiversity → Natural resources → The wider environment

This establishes an environmental connection between campus purchasing decisions and agricultural land management.

Traceable Food Sources

Traceability is another component of the policy.

University units, canteens, catering providers, and food-service providers are encouraged to prioritise food products whose origins can be identified and traced.

The policy specifically states that food should be prioritised when it is:

• Locally sourced;
• Traceable to its origin; and
• Obtained from farmers or suppliers applying responsible and sustainable agricultural practices.

Traceability strengthens responsible procurement because it improves understanding of where agricultural products come from and the types of suppliers involved in campus food provision.

Supporting Local and Sustainable Agricultural Sources

Local sourcing is integrated into the sustainable food policy.

UNISSULA encourages food providers to prioritise locally available agricultural products when those products can be traced to farmers or suppliers applying responsible farming practices.

This combines environmental considerations with support for local and regional food systems.

The approach can be represented as:

Responsible agricultural production → Traceable sourcing → Local and regional suppliers → Campus food services → University community

Local sourcing also provides opportunities for stronger relationships between institutional purchasers and agricultural suppliers.

Application to Campus Canteens and Catering

The scope of the policy extends directly to food-service activities within UNISSULA.

Circular Letter No.9017/J/SA/IX/2025 specifically refers to:

• University units;
• Canteens;
• Catering providers;
• Food providers;
• Vendors; and
• Third parties providing food within the university.

The policy therefore applies beyond centrally purchased food and reaches different channels through which food may be provided or sold on campus.

This broad scope supports consistent application of sustainable food-sourcing principles across the university environment.

Extending Sustainable Food Requirements to Third Parties

Food services at a university may involve external suppliers and contractors.

UNISSULA therefore extends the policy explicitly to vendors, catering providers, canteens, and third parties that provide food within the university.

This extension is important because sustainable procurement requires consideration of the wider food supply chain rather than only purchases directly made by central university administration.

Through this approach, sustainability expectations can be incorporated into relationships with parties responsible for supplying and serving food on campus.

Integration with the UNISSULA Close Loop System

The sustainable farming policy is complemented by UNISSULA’s institutional procurement mechanism known as the Close Loop System.

Circular Letter No. 4493/J/SA/V/2025 directs faculties, study programmes, administrative units, institutions, bureaux, UPTs, and other university units to purchase goods and services through designated YBW-SA business units.

For food-related procurement, PT Generasi Sultan Agung (Genesa) is specifically identified as providing:

• Catering;
• Snacks;
• Supermarket services; and
• Related services.

The circular also directs university units to operate the Close Loop System while prioritising Sustainable Development Goals values.

The two institutional measures therefore complement each other:

Close Loop procurement mechanism → Food and catering supply channels → Sustainable farming requirements → Responsible food provision on campus

Sustainable Procurement as an Institutional Practice

The combination of the sustainable farming policy and the Close Loop procurement mechanism provides UNISSULA with a structured approach to food sourcing.

The system links institutional procurement with environmental expectations concerning agricultural production.

Rather than considering sustainability only at the stage of consumption, the approach looks further upstream toward:

How food is farmed → How its source is identified → Who supplies it → How it reaches campus

This enables sustainable agricultural considerations to become part of the university’s broader procurement framework.

Policy in Place in 2025

Circular Letter No. 9017/J/SA/IX/2025 was issued on 11 September 2025 and signed on behalf of the Rector by the Vice Rector I of UNISSULA.

The supporting Close Loop System policy was issued earlier in the same year through Circular Letter No. 4493/J/SA/V/2025, dated 14 May 2025, and signed by the Rector.

Together, these institutional documents demonstrate that sustainable food procurement and its supporting procurement mechanism were formally established within UNISSULA in 2025.

Evidence of Implementation

1. UNISSULA established Circular Letter No. 9017/J/SA/IX/2025 on sustainable food procurement, requiring agricultural food used or sold within the university to be prioritised from sources implementing sustainable agricultural practices.
2. The policy requires responsible management of soil, water, and natural resources and consideration of environmental sustainability in agricultural production.
3. Food procurement prioritises farming practices that reduce pesticides, chemical fertilisers, and other potentially damaging inputs, including those affecting soil and biodiversity.
4. UNISSULA incorporates traceability into food sourcing, prioritising products whose origin can be identified and that come from farmers or suppliers applying responsible and sustainable farming practices.
5. Local agricultural products are explicitly prioritised alongside sustainable farming and traceability considerations.
6. The policy applies to canteens, catering providers, food providers, vendors, and other third parties providing food within UNISSULA.
7. The policy was formally issued in 2025 and signed on behalf of the Rector by the Vice Rector I, establishing institutional authority for its implementation.
8. The policy is supported by the UNISSULA Close Loop System, which establishes an institutional procurement mechanism covering food-related services such as catering, snacks, and supermarket provision.