Our food system is closely linked to urgent global challenges. Food production is a major contributor to climate change, a dominant driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss, and an important user and causer of our increasingly scarce water resources. Furthermore, food is the biggest single influence in our health. A third of the food produced for human consumption is not consumed, but thrown away. At the same time, there are millions of people in the world who do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active life. The food system is driven by many economic, cultural and environmental factors. These include demographic trends, changes in eating habits and food waste. In the EU food waste and unsustainable food habits have been identified by all government as challenges that need to be urgently tackled. This also includes the growing out-of-home sector, where a significant part of food waste occurs. Respective policies were set up in most European countries, but these need to be backed up by direct interventions with consumers. Sustainable out-of-home nutrition can contribute to achieve sustainability objectives by transforming the demands of consumers. Studies indicate that individual food choice behaviours in out-of-home facilities are connected to a range of personal, social and situational factors. The majority of the European population is willing to act against food waste and adopt a more sustainable and healthy diet. However, they often lack the necessary knowledge. FoodTalks would like to address this issue and develop an action package to enable hosts, providers and guests of out-of-home catering to respond to the above challenges, contribute to a more sustainable food system and make informed consumption choices. The project addresses host organisations of out-of-home caterers (local authorities, private business, elderly homes, universities) and proposes solutions for more sustainable catering services involving the catering providers and their guests. Campaign material will be developed and tested in selected canteens in different sectors to run food wise campaigns in canteens and contribute to a more sustainable out-of-home catering sector.
Our food system is closely linked to urgent global challenges. Food production is a major contributor to climate change, a dominant driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss, and an important user and causer of our increasingly scarce water resources. Furthermore, food is the biggest single influence in our health. A third of the food produced for human consumption is not consumed, but thrown away. At the same time, there are millions of people in the world who do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active life. The food system is driven by many economic, cultural and environmental factors. These include demographic trends, changes in eating habits and food waste. In the EU food waste and unsustainable food habits have been identified by all government as challenges that need to be urgently tackled. This also includes the growing out-of-home sector, where a significant part of food waste occurs. Respective policies were set up in most European countries, but these need to be backed up by direct interventions with consumers. Sustainable out-of-home nutrition can contribute to achieve sustainability objectives by transforming the demands of consumers. Studies indicate that individual food choice behaviours in out-of-home facilities are connected to a range of personal, social and situational factors. The majority of the European population is willing to act against food waste and adopt a more sustainable and healthy diet. However, they often lack the necessary knowledge. FoodTalks would like to address this issue and develop an action package to enable hosts, providers and guests of out-of-home catering to respond to the above challenges, contribute to a more sustainable food system and make informed consumption choices. The project addresses host organisations of out-of-home caterers (local authorities, private business, elderly homes, universities) and proposes solutions for more sustainable catering services involving the catering providers and their guests. Campaign material will be developed and tested in selected canteens in different sectors to run food wise campaigns in canteens and contribute to a more sustainable out-of-home catering sector.