The current world’s food production is exceeding planetary boundaries – driving climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The University of Luxembourg joins forces today to support a new concept called “Food4Future” launched by Restopolis, the department of the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth in charge of collective catering in school and university canteens.
“Food4Future” aims to change eating habits, reduce the impact on the environment and slow down climate change. Six objectives have been defined as its driving power: new meal offer, purchases in short circuits, waste prevention, fight against food waste, raising awareness of sustainable food and implementation of the action plan PAN-BIO2025.
To support the initiative, the University is committed to educate its community to develop sustainable buying and eating habits. Through available reports, research-based information and interviews with its researchers, the University will provide useful information to its staff and students in line with the objectives of “Food4Future”.
Buying local, buying seasonal
During the thematic week from 6 – 10 December, the initiative will focus on the importance of buying local and seasonal food. Buying local and seasonal has many advantages:
- Fresher produce for the consumer: as it spends less time getting to the supermarket, produce has time to grow to its maturity, and as a result contains more nutrients.
- More energy-efficient: Less energy is spent for transporting food, generating less pollution and carbon emissions
- Less packaging: less need to protect products during transport, and vegetables or fruit can be bought in batches.
- Fairer pricing: compared to mass distribution channels, relationships and negotiations are more transparent, as a result producers may receive fairer pricing.
- Sync with the seasons: Farmers can only grow what the season will support. Foods that are grown and consumed during their appropriate seasons are more nutritionally dense. Sicona Luxembourg, the nature conservation syndicate, has published a list of seasonal fruit and vegetables suitable in our regions.
Meet Food4Future
To present the Food4Future concept and its topics to University staff and students, Restopolis will have an information stand at Food House on Friday, 10 December.
Additional resources
1. Research project Sustainable food practices by Dr Rachel Reckinger, Research Scientist at FHSE: food.uni.lu
2. Dr Rachel Reckinger, Research Scientist at the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, speaking at TEDx UniversityofLuxembourg2020: « How to design a truly sustainable food system in the context of climate change? »
3. Interreg Aroma – “Approvisionnement Régional Organisé pour une Meilleure Alimentation, the projects aims to create an operational supply organisation covering the territory of the Greater Region
4. Lancet is the first full scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet from a sustainable perspective, and which actions can support and speed up food system transformation. Based on the report, our healthy and equitable plate should look like the one you see below.
5. Happy Local is a University of Luxembourg’s start-up that offers a all-in-one solution to buy and sell eco-friendly products online.
6. F4A makes eco-friendly food shopping easier. The University of Luxembourg’s start-up offers access to high quality, close-to-expiry food products, takeaway meals & antiwaste bags at an affordable price via its app.