4.4 Special Diets (N09), Responsible Food Sourcing (N11), Food Production (N12) & Local Food Environment (N13)
Key Takeaways
- N09 Part 1 requires main dish options free of peanut, gluten, dairy and egg, plus one option with no animal, seafood or dairy products and one with no animal or seafood products except eggs and dairy.
- N09 Part 2 requires point-of-decision labeling for nine allergens: peanut, fish, shellfish, soy, milk, egg, wheat, tree nuts and gluten.
- N11 Option 1 requires at least 50% of the total produce line to be certified organic and at least 25% of the total animal product line to be certified organic, Certified Humane or certified by a GSSI-recognized seafood scheme.
- N12 requires a permanent accessible food production space within a 0.25 mi (400 m) walk distance of the boundary, sized at 1 ft2 per regular occupant or 0.5 ft2 per student, whichever is greater, capped at 1,500 ft2 and never below 200 ft2.
- N13 is satisfied by locating within a 0.25 mi (400 m) walk of a supermarket or qualifying farmers market, by hosting community agriculture distribution or weekly produce sales for at least four months a year, or by providing free transportation to a grocery source.
4.4 Special Diets (N09), Responsible Food Sourcing (N11), Food Production (N12) & Local Food Environment (N13)
Core Exam Takeaway: N09 Special Diets (2 pt) = six main-dish criteria plus nine labeled allergens. N11 Responsible Food Sourcing (1 pt) = 50% produce organic, 25% animal products certified. N12 Food Production (2 pt / Core 1 pt) = 0.25 mi (400 m), 1 ft² per regular occupant, 200–1,500 ft² bounds. N13 Local Food Environment (1 pt / Core 2 pt) = location, programming or transportation.
Feature N09: Special Diets — Optimization (2 pt / WELL Core 2 pt)
Intent: provide alternative food choices to individuals with dietary restrictions, food allergies or intolerances, and label common food allergens.
N09 Part 1 — Accommodate Special Diets (1 pt)
Meals sold or provided include main dish options that meet each of the following criteria:
- (a) Do not contain peanut
- (b) Do not contain gluten
- (c) Do not contain dairy
- (d) Do not contain egg
- (e) Do not contain animal, seafood or dairy products (i.e., a vegan option)
- (f) Do not contain animal or seafood products, except for eggs and dairy (i.e., a vegetarian option)
[!TIP] Read (e) and (f) carefully — they are the vegan and vegetarian criteria written in exclusion language. A single dish can satisfy several criteria at once: a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free vegetable and rice bowl covers (a) through (e) in one item. Note also what is absent: WELL's N09 list does not include halal or kosher. Religious dietary accommodation is valuable practice but is not an N09 criterion.
N09 Part 2 — Label Food Allergens (1 pt)
Foods and beverages sold or provided are clearly labeled at point-of-decision on packaging, menus or signage to indicate if they contain these nine allergens:
peanut · fish · shellfish · soy · milk · egg · wheat · tree nuts · gluten
[!WARNING] WELL v2's list is these nine, and it notably includes gluten as a distinct entry alongside wheat. Sesame is not on WELL v2's list, even though it was later added to the U.S. FALCPA "Big 9." Answer from WELL's list, not from national food law.
Feature N11: Responsible Food Sourcing — Optimization (1 pt / WELL Core 1 pt)
Intent: reduce dietary exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, limit environmental degradation and promote humane livestock practices.
N11 Part 1 — Implement Responsible Sourcing
Option 1: Sustainable sourcing. If foods and beverages are sold or provided daily, the total product line meets both:
- (a) At least 50% of the total produce line (fruits and vegetables) is certified organic.
- (b) At least 25% of the total animal product line (meat, seafood, egg and dairy products) is certified organic, Certified Humane®, or certified by a GSSI-recognized Seafood Certification Scheme.
Option 2: Sustainable labeling. Sustainable and humane agriculture is promoted through, as applicable:
- (a) Certified organic and sustainable products are labeled at point-of-decision.
- (b) Local farms or sources are advertised at point-of-decision for locally sourced foods.
[!TIP] 50% produce / 25% animal products is the pairing to memorize, and the asymmetry is deliberate: certified organic produce is broadly available and affordable, while certified animal products are scarcer and costlier. Note that WELL names three acceptable certification families for animal products — organic, Certified Humane®, and GSSI-recognized seafood schemes — and that Option 2 requires no procurement change at all, only honest point-of-decision labeling. A project that cannot hit the percentages can still earn the point.
Feature N12: Food Production — Optimization (2 pt / WELL Core 1 pt)
Intent: provide opportunities for on-site food production and increase food access.
N12 Part 1 — Provide Gardening Space
A permanent and accessible space for food production located within a 0.25 mi (400 m) walk distance of the project boundary that meets:
(a) Includes at least one of: garden or greenhouse with food-bearing plants; edible landscaping (fruit trees, herbs); or a hydroponic or aeroponic farming system.
(b) Is open to regular occupants during regular building hours and accessible the majority of days in the operating year. Foods grown are made available to regular occupants.
(c) Sizing:
| Scope | Area requirement | Bounds |
|---|---|---|
| All spaces except dwelling units | 1 ft² (0.09 m²) per regular occupant, or 0.5 ft² (0.05 m²) per student, whichever area is greater | maximum 1,500 ft² (140 m²), not less than 200 ft² (18.5 m²) |
| Dwelling units | 15 ft² (1.4 m²) per dwelling unit | maximum 1,500 ft² (140 m²), not less than 200 ft² (18.5 m²) |
The area counted is the actual growing area — vertical or horizontal — used for food-bearing plants. For hydroponic and aeroponic systems, the project may halve the growing area calculation, given higher yield.
(d) The space includes planting supplies: planting medium, watering system, lighting (interior spaces only), plants and gardening tools.
WELL Core guidance: non-leased spaces; an additional point for providing amenities sized for tenant capacity.
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| N12 SIZING WORKED EXAMPLES (non-dwelling-unit) |
| |
| 120 regular occupants, soil garden: |
| 120 x 1 ft2 = 120 ft2 --> raised to the 200 ft2 FLOOR = 200 ft2 |
| |
| 900 regular occupants, soil garden: |
| 900 x 1 ft2 = 900 ft2 --> within bounds = 900 ft2 |
| |
| 2,400 regular occupants, soil garden: |
| 2,400 x 1 ft2 = 2,400 ft2 --> capped at 1,500 ft2 CEILING |
| |
| 900 regular occupants, HYDROPONIC system: |
| 900 x 1 ft2 = 900 ft2, halved = 450 ft2 |
| |
| A school with 300 staff and 1,200 students: |
| staff: 300 x 1 = 300 ft2 students: 1,200 x 0.5 = 600 ft2 |
| TAKE THE GREATER = 600 ft2 |
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[!IMPORTANT] Three sizing traps. The 200 ft² floor means small projects cannot scale down indefinitely. The 1,500 ft² ceiling means large projects are not asked for a farm. And the school calculation is "whichever area is greater" between the occupant and student computations — not the sum.
Feature N13: Local Food Environment — Optimization (1 pt / WELL Core 2 pt)
Intent: increase access to fresh, local and seasonal fruits and vegetables by reducing environmental barriers. This is a site-selection and programming feature — the project cannot fix its neighbourhood, so WELL offers three routes.
N13 Part 1 — Ensure Local Food Access
Option 1: Supportive environment. The project is located within a 0.25 mi (400 m) walk distance of one of:
- (a) A supermarket or store with a fresh fruit and vegetable section; or
- (b) A farmers' market open at least once a week and operating at least four months of the year.
Option 2: Supportive programming. One of:
- (a) The project serves as a distribution point for a community-based agriculture program delivering fruits and vegetables to regular occupants at least twice a month for at least four months of the year; or
- (b) The project hosts the weekly sale of fruits and vegetables (fruit and vegetable carts or stands, mobile markets) for at least four months of the year.
Option 3: Supportive transportation. Transportation is provided at no cost between the project and a supermarket, store with a fresh fruit and vegetable section, and/or farmers' market.
WELL Core guidance: whole building.
[!TIP] 0.25 mi (400 m) walk distance appears in both N12 and N13 — the same radius for growing food and for buying it. The four-month seasonal qualifier appears three times in N13, reflecting that outdoor markets in temperate climates cannot operate year-round. Option 3 is the universal fallback: a shuttle service earns the point anywhere, regardless of neighbourhood.
How the sourcing cluster fits together
N09 governs who can eat the food; N11 governs how it was produced; N12 lets occupants grow it; N13 ensures they can buy it nearby. A project in a food desert loses Option 1 of N13 but can still earn the point via programming or transportation — and pairing an N12 garden with an N07 gardening workshop earns two more features from the same physical intervention.
Under N09 Part 2, which allergen list must be labeled at point-of-decision?
A workplace cafeteria wants to earn N11 Part 1 Option 1. What sourcing shares must its total product line achieve?
A school project has 250 staff who are regular occupants and 1,100 students, and plans a soil-based garden. What growing area does N12 require?
A project sits in an area with no supermarket or farmers' market within walking distance. Which N13 compliance route remains available regardless of neighborhood context?