The central kitchen of Ostend lowers food waste by 40%

Early 2021, the City of Ostend launched a campaign to combat food waste in the city’s central kitchen. One year later, it appears that food loss has been reduced by 40%, representing savings of nearly 50,000 euros per year and a reduction of 112 tons of CO₂ emissions.

One third of the food produced worldwide is wasted. During the production process, transport, in the store, but also to a large extent in the kitchen and on our plates. The city of Oostende wanted to examine in its own central kitchen where food goes to waste and how this can be avoided. Because wasting food is not only a waste for those who produce and prepare it, it also has a major financial and climate impact.
The measures against food loss fit within the European project Foodshift 2030, which aims for a more sustainable food system.

The trajectory in collaboration with the Province West-Flanders and FoodWIN

The central kitchen produces meals for the staff and for many care institutions (AZ Sint Jan hospital, two residential care centers, five day-care centers and the eight meeting centers). This accounts for about 1,400 lunches, 750 breakfasts and 750 evening meals. The measurement on food loss was carried out under the professional guidance of FoodWIN and received financial support from Province of West Flanders.

A first baseline measurement was done in March 2021. From these measurements it became clear where the losses are and what actions could be taken. Examples are more accurate weighing and fine-tuning of all portions, specifically tailored to the target group (children, elderly, staff, etc); better agreements with all customers regarding absences and meal requests, for example, in day care centers and hospitals; regular consultation with the customers’ nutrition managers, for example on the distribution of meal times so that they are not too close together. A targeted purchasing policy and a new stock management system will also help reduce losses.

Saving 50,000 euros

A second measurement took place in February 2022. Thanks to the actions taken, the kitchen managed to reduce food waste by 40% in ten months. This saves no less than about 50,000 euros per year and avoids 112 tons of CO₂ emissions.

The greatest progress was made in the day care centers. After the second measurement, more than 50% less food was wasted. The actions taken (such as adjusting the portions, especially for soup and vegetables which were given too large portions) had a clear impact. The biggest progress is seen in a huge reduction of buffet leftovers, on which the actions also focused.

The biggest losses are, also in the second measurement, still in the residential care homes and the hospital. In the residential care homes, the losses are divided approximately equally between buffet leftovers (45%) and plate leftovers (55%). Soup takes the largest share of buffet residues in both measurements. A better distribution of when soup is given, for example in the evening, could lead to smaller losses because then the meals in the first day half would not be so close together. The portions of starch are slightly higher than the recommended amount (167 g instead of 125 to 150 g). Reducing this portion will also reduce the losses.

In the hospital, the actions in pediatrics in particular had a great effect. There the portions were clearly too large. Also a better registration system of the parents who stayed for dinner led to fewer losses. The same applies to clearer agreements on meal requirements for new patients (e.g. staying sober in function of examinations).

First Alderman Björn Anseeuw, responsible for Central Purchasing: “We are very happy with this progress. We have an exemplary function in looking at how as little valuable food is lost as possible. This requires the cooperation of all people in the organization and all links, from kitchen staff to buyers and customers.”

“Measuring is knowing. This was immediately made very clear with this trajectory. Reducing food loss is also an important objective in the food strategy of the city of Ostend. In addition to a positive impact on the climate, the net money savings are also a plus, especially now that food prices are increasing everywhere,” adds alderman Silke Beirens.

Surpluses will not go to waste

The surpluses that remain are distributed through various channels. Larger quantities are donated to the non-profit food aid organization Lichtbaken. The City is also setting up its own Too Good Too Go system for staff, selling prepared daily specials at a discounted price.

Inspiration moment for mass kitchens

On Thursday 21 April 2022, the City of Ostend organized an inspiration event for professional kitchens in Ostend. With this event the city also wanted to inspire other large kitchens to take action and learn from each other.

And the City itself will continue to look for actions to further reduce the losses and will continue to measure the food. Good communication with all buyers and customers is crucial in this respect.

Food Waste Award Winner

During the Food Waste Fest 2022 organized by Foodwin, the city of Ostend won the Food Waste Award in the category public authorities, for their efforts in reducing Food Waste.

Want to know more?

About the food strategy in Oostende? https://www.oostende.be/oogst

About Foodwin? https://foodwin.org/

The post The central kitchen of Ostend lowers food waste by 40% appeared first on FoodSHIFT 2030.

This short film is the result of their yearly thematic work about food, that is one of their working topic.

What is the Children City Council?

Since 2017, the City of Avignon has set up a Children City Council i.e. an institution consisted only of children, elected by children from all our city schools (public and private).

All school children have to choose two elected representatives per school, for a 2 years term, only within a targeted group from 8 to 10 years old children.

The children are stepping into elected representatives’ shoes so they are in charge to implement their projects (once validated by the Mayor herself!), organized into different thematic groups; so they:

• are informed about various issues
• collaborate with some municipal services, helped by 2 dedicated adults in charge of their group
• are empowered by experimenting their projects’ implementation from start to finish

It aims at increasing their awareness of citizenship, testing the elected representatives’ role and discovering various issues.

In 2021, there are 66 elected children from 33 public and private elementary schools.

Each child who candidates to the Council writes a statement of objectives to inform his schoolmates of his projects, program, and priorities.

Food is one of the thematic commissions such as:

• Food (institutional food service, fighting against food waste, balanced diet)
• Living together (social actions and solidarity)
• Save the planet (environment, sustainable development)
• My life my city  (equipment, security, education)
• Having fun in Avignon (culture and leisure activities)
• Taking care of your health (sports and health)

The making of this short film was one of the projects of the current mandate (ending at the end of June).

They initially researched information and figures (in France, in the whole world..) about food waste to have a large approach and to define the issues. Then, they decided to split the film into two short parts, proposing a second part highlighting the solutions linked to our daily behaviours (children and adults included…) that lead to food waste.

The short film shows by the children themselves some typical behaviours regarding food and propose in a dynamic way some tips to solve the problems.

As we wished to share it with our FoodSHIFT partners (and maybe with the children related to them), we made the English translation.

All this project is included within a larger project of « Zero Food Waste », currently in progress in our canteens : increasing children awareness by weights and challenges between children’ tables to be the less « food waste » producer…!

So…why don’t we hear the children’s  voices and follow their ideas and tips?

Let’s go to « Zero Food Waste », we need all your energy; looking forward to receiving any feedback about this project!

The post Children’s involvement against food waste – Avignon LAB appeared first on FoodSHIFT 2030.

In times of crisis, or a global pandemic, the need for quick, innovative solutions is ever-more pressing, as essential everyday systems such as our food supply chain become strained. These innovations can take many shapes, but it is the citizen-driven innovations radically challenging how we eat and produce food today.

In this FoodSHIFT webinar, we hear from a range of citizen-driven innovations driving change locally, which shift diet and consumption patterns as well as challenge models of food governance in a broken food system that has often left the vulnerable behind. We explore different models across Europe, as well as hear from EAT and its Shifting Urban Diets project with the FoodSHIFT Copenhagen Lab, before inviting our audience to share questions with our speaker panel.

Speakers:

Dirk Wascher, Innovation Manager, FoodSHIFT2030

Christine Pohl – Coordinator of the Berlin Food Policy Council

Emily Norford: Policy Manager, Urban Food Systems EAT

Maria Selenia, Compostiera di Comunita, Lecce, Italy

Stephanie Kennedy, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming and FoodSHIFT network partner (chair)

This event was presented online via Zoom as part of the Eat@Home Forum, running from November 17 to December 13 2020.

See the Powerpoint presentation from the Webinar here.

See the Public Q&A from the webinar here.

The post Webinar: Shaking up the food system appeared first on FoodSHIFT 2030.

Project Description

The FoodSHIFT2030 project is leading an ambitious citizen-driven transition of the European food system towards a low carbon, circular future, including a shift to less meat and more plant-based diets. The FoodSHIFT2030 approach focuses on supporting innovation towards a fast transition of the European food system by 2030, which is necessary in order to address the pressing challenges for food and nutrition security, contribute to the EU commitment of reducing GHG emissions by at least 40% by 2030, and revitalize urban-rural linkages and partnerships to secure the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Our FoodSHIFT Accelerator Labs

The nine FoodSHIFT Accelerator Labs are located in the following front-runner cityregions: Greater Athens, Avignon, Barcelona, Bari, Brasov, Berlin, Greater Copenhagen, Oostende and Wroclaw.

Each FoodSHIFT Accelerator Lab has defined an innovation focus and innovation actions to increase the technological and societal readiness levels of existing food system innovations within ten major themes and eleven SDGs across the Labs Each FoodSHIFT Accelerator Lab will contribute and share knowledge within the FoodSHIFT2030 consortium to drive innovation upscaling and cross-pollination between the FoodSHIFT Accelerator Labs.

FOODSHIFT FoodSHIFT2030 takes departure in the EU Food 2030 Research and Innovation Policy Framework, the EU’s commitment under the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) It brings together a strong multi-actor consortium composed of local governments, SMEs, NGOs, universities, research institutes and network partners to address the H2020 programme topic CE-SFS-24-2019: Innovative and citizen-driven food system approaches in cities.

A fast citizen-driven food system transition will be achieved by creating a framework and efficient mechanisms for maturing, combining, upscaling and multiplying existing food system innovations through the operationalization of nine citizen-driven FoodSHIFT Accelerator Labs and a further 27 FoodSHIFT Enabler Labs to be established in existing and emerging city-region food system hubs distributed across Europe. Furthermore, each of the nine FoodSHIFT Accelerator Labs will initiate the establishment of three FoodSHIFT Enabler Labs to facilitate the food system transition in other cityregions.

Each FoodSHIFT Accelerator Lab will be facilitated by a steering committee consisting of a Lab leader, a Lab host and a Lab assistant from the city-region project partners.

The post What is FoodSHIFT 2030? appeared first on FoodSHIFT 2030.