SchoolFood4Change aims at engaging schools as catalysts for a transformation towards a sustainable food system. This change would not be possible without all school food actors collaborating together: students, caregivers and teachers, farmers, chefs and canteen staff, sustainable food procurement experts, dietitians, and local enterprises.
As the project progresses, the SchoolFood4Change EU Award has been established to honor outstanding contributions. The finalists, whose innovative efforts have set new standards in sustainable school food practices, will be unveiled on February 12th at BIOFACH, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, held in Nuremberg, Germany.
The journey towards a sustainable food system is a collective one, and every small step counts. Here is the full list of contributions that have been nominated for the SchoolFood4Change EU Award.
Austria
The City of Vienna and Danachda, Austria
The Department for Environmental Protection of Vienna and Danachda are known for their innovative Food Trailer initiative. This mobile kitchen allows schools to conduct hands-on cooking workshops, teaching students about sustainable food practices. The “Deconstructed Burger” workshop is one example, offering a fun and educational experience that promotes planetary health diets.
The City of Vienna, Austria
Vienna’s sensory test approach is a good practice for increasing children’s acceptance of new foods. The process begins with children trying the new SF4C recipe, which includes unfamiliar foods like legumes and sweet potatoes, and filling out a questionnaire. Following this, they participate in an interactive workshop where they learn about and taste, for instance, different legumes and sweet potatoes in various forms. This educational intervention helps children to explore new tastes. Finally, the children try the menu again and complete another questionnaire, allowing Vienna to monitor changes in food acceptance.
The City of Vienna, Austria
City of Vienna’s Environmental Protection department recognized teachers as key figures at lunchtime, leveraging their presence to influence children positively. Their specific role at lunch required additional skills, beyond professional skills as teachers. Vienna developed a training program for teachers, focusing on revised nutritional guidelines, practical cooking activities and discussing the importance of shared dining experiences.
Belgium
The City of Ghent, Belgium
The City of Ghent is known for its innovative and sustainable school catering program providing not only delicious but also healthy, sustainable, and affordable meals. With nearly a quarter of the ingredients being organic, Ghent sets a high standard for environmental stewardship. As a result, the city’s greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 40% bringing a positive change for both people and the planet.
Primary School De Mozaïek, Ghent, Belgium
Primary School De Mozaïek is committed to building a healthy future for all children, including those from vulnerable backgrounds. With SchoolFood4Change, they’ve started initiatives like a “vegetable shop” for healthy snacks and “Pimp Your Soup” to make soup more appealing. These efforts have led to healthier lunchboxes and more children enjoying their vegetables. The school believes small changes can make a big difference, and this is just the beginning.
Primary School Het Kompass, Ghent, Belgium
Het Kompas is a special primary education school that focuses on basic provision and addresses issues like student obesity and limited food knowledge. They initiated the ‘Het Kompas’ trajectory and an oral hygiene program. Inspired by a Canteen Day event (“Gent Smaakt”) Ghent held with this school, where a few students had the chance to cook with renowned chefs, the school became motivated to enhance its food policy and entered Ghent’s food council contest with the project La Brújula. La Brújula focuses on knowledge of short supply chains, sustainable cooking skills, and introducing sustainable food chains to parents, involving students, parents, and the school team over two school years. The goal is to spread positive experiences and make good food an integral part of the school’s environment, with ongoing support and community engagement.
Catering company Foodatelier César, Leuven, Belgium
Three primary schools in Leuven have partnered with Foodatelier César to provide wholesome vegetarian meals for students, priced at €5, with a reduced rate of €1.50 for low-income families. The catering company, a local startup based in a historic abbey, collaborates with the abbey’s residents and plans to grow vegetables in the abbey garden. This initiative promotes sustainability and cultural inclusivity by offering globally inspired vegetarian dishes. The collaboration between the schools and Foodatelier Cesar also opens up opportunities to organize events with parents and educational workshops, creating a rich learning experience for everyone involved.
Redingenhof School, Leuven, Belgium
At Redingenhof in Leuven, a secondary school for top athletes, the meals were previously outsourced but were of poor quality. Dissatisfaction among students, parents, and teachers led to a change inspired by Marieke Van Ranst from BioForum and the SchoolFood4Change project. Marieke, motivated by her trips to Sweden and Pollenzo, proposed cooking fresh meals in-house. Starting in January 2025, the school prepares nutritious meals on-site, including a weekly vegetarian day. Students also participate in a “boarding council” to provide feedback and learn about healthy eating. Logistics and regulations pose obstacles, but with this dedicated team, everything is on track.
Czech Republic
Preschool Velteze, Czech Republic
The preschool holds a SF4C bronze certificate. Highlights include cooking sessions, morning buffets, and gardening activities that bring parents and children together. Additionally, cooperation with other schools in the region and local farmers, farm visits, and video calls with farmers in winter have enriched the childrens’ learning experiences.
Fugnerova preschool, Louny, Czech Republic
Fugnerova Louny preschool holds a SF4C silver certificate. The preschool teaches young children about nutrition and sustainable food through hands-on activities like gardening, farm visits, and food preparation. They reduce food waste, promote healthy eating, and involve the community with events like the ‘Garden Festival’ and ‘Fair Breakfast’.
Denmark
Food and climate festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
In September 2024, three daycare centers in Copenhagen organized a joint food festival week– a public climate and food celebration for the local community. The event featured various food-related activities, including cooking over an open fire and a vegetable workshop among others. The grand finale on Friday attracted about 400 visitors who enjoyed green meals, created spice blends, and tested their knowledge about legumes. The festival received positive feedback, and the daycare centers plan to continue their collaboration and repeat the event in 2025.
Estonia
Randvere School, Viimsi, Estonia
Salad Recipe Project exemplifies community collaboration and culinary creativity. Teams of students, with the support of their families, searched for unique salad recipes. Each team presented their creations for tasting, allowing students to discover their class favorites. This activity not only introduced new flavors but also fostered teamwork and joy. Additionally, students designed their favorite salad recipes, culminating in a recipe book shared with the entire school community—students, teachers, and parents.
Schools in Viimsi, Estonia
In fall 2024, Viimsi Schools hosted an event where the chefs prepared 150 liters of healthy tomato-lentil soup. This soup, made using zero-waste was part of a training practicum for school chefs. Over 150 students from four Viimsi Schools participated in sensory testing. The event emphasized the importance of healthy eating and the collaborative efforts of school chefs to create sustainable menus.
National Cuisines Festival at Tallinn English College, Estonia
The National Cuisines Festival at Tallinn English College, held on May 21, 2024, celebrated cultural diversity and healthy eating. The event featured eight international cuisines, prepared by teachers, chefs, and 11th-grade students, and included activities like a sushi-making workshop and a nutrition lecture. Over 300 attendees enjoyed the festival, which aimed to foster cultural awareness and support the SchoolFood4Change initiative. Attendees appreciated the festival as a unique platform for cultural exchange and learning.
Mahtra School, Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn Mahtra School has successfully been implementing the ‘Whole School Food Approach’. To contribute to the holistic nature of change at the school, students took the lead in transforming their school canteen into a warm and inviting space. This hands-on project has created a more enjoyable eating experience and highlights the power of student involvement in shaping their environment.
Tallinn Südalinn School, Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn Südalinn School has applied a holistic approach to fostering a healthy and sustainable food culture via SchoolFood4Change. Key activities include specialized training for catering staff, the introduction of diverse and plant-based menus, and engaging community events like joint cooking activities and food festivals. Students act as Food Ambassadors, promoting sustainable diets through presentations, games, and creative displays. This initiative demonstrates the power of combining culinary education, community engagement, and sustainability to create lasting positive change in the school food ecosystem making food a central and joyous part of school life.
France
The Dordogne Region, France
The Dordogne region in France is known for its innovative school catering, offering 100% organic, locally sourced, homemade meals. This initiative enhances student health, promotes sustainability, and supports the local economy. By using organic, seasonal ingredients, Dordogne has reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased local food in school meals, setting a high standard for sustainable school catering in Europe.
Germany
Schools in Nuremberg, Germany
The “GoodFood7” project aimed to educate seventh-grade students about healthy lifestyles, focusing on food and nutrition. Students learned to recognize and express their feelings and needs, with an emphasis on exploring new culinary experiences. The project involved all seventh-grade classes and was divided into three phases: theory, self-reflection, and practical application through meal preparation. Teachers from various subjects collaborated to provide a comprehensive learning experience, covering topics like sugar content, dietary fiber, and macronutrient detection. The project successfully engaged students and had a lasting impact on their dietary habits.
Panino Catering, Nuremberg, Germany
Panino Catering in Nuremberg, led by Gabi Hoffmann, has transformed school meals to be healthier and more sustainable. They increased organic and unprocessed products, reduced meat dishes, and introduced homemade items. Despite initial challenges, their commitment has led to positive feedback and a rise in the number of meals served, inspiring other school caterers.
The city of Essen, Germany
Led by the Green Capital Agency and the Essen Food Policy Council, Essen has transformed daycare and school meals. The collaboration resulted in broad community participation and has created a network of stakeholders, including NGOs, caterers, companies and educational programs. Since October 2022, the project has organized events like Canteen Days and the Food Campus at the Good Climate Festival, videos and educational materials have been produced resulting in political discussions.
Schweissguth Catering Junior catering company, Essen, Germany
Schweißtguth Catering Junior, based in Gelsenkirchen, serves daycare centers and schools in Essen and six other Ruhr region cities, preparing around 2,500 meals daily. The company aims to increase its use of organic and unprocessed products, offering predominantly plant-based dishes following the nutrition guidelines. They emphasize education by allowing visits to their kitchen and providing a free annual activity day where a chef cooks with the children. Schweißtguth Catering is also involved in SF4C replication training. Their efforts focus on practical food education and promoting healthier eating habits among children.
Italy
The City of Nuoro Italy
The City of Nuoro has implemented inclusive market dialogues prioritizing sustainability health in 16 municipal schools. By incorporating extensive social environmental criteria including organic locally sourced products staff training inclusive menus beyond Italian legislation on sustainable procurement Nuoro ensures all students receive nutritious appetizing eco-friendly school meals.
The City of Milan Italy
Milan has launched a comprehensive plan to provide nutritious sustainable food to kindergarten primary school pupils along with activities for students, teachers, and caregivershis initiative in collaboration with various school food value chain actors includes a “garden to plate” program Pupils practice healthy eating by preparing dinners for their families at Milano Ristorazione centers while caregivers observe and interact with a school cook. This innovative educational experience is unique in Italy.
Slovakia
Elementary School Kukučínová, Košice Slovakia
This silver-level school Kukučínová certified by the SF4C program, is situated in an area with a high cultural diversity, promotes healthy eating and sustainable food education. By engaging students and transforming food habits, they have positively influenced parents and the broader community. This school’s creative approach to integrating food education and sustainability into everyday activities not only enhances the skills of cooks but also establishes a model that inspires students, parents, and the community.
Elementary school Važecká, Prešov Slovakia
This school has been a leader in healthy and sustainable food education, embracing WSFA principles even before joining the SF4C program. The SF4C project deepened students’ understanding of the school canteen’s operations, highlighting the role of cooks as educators. Students participated in the “Choose Your Meal” activity, planning the menu for a day and making healthier choices. Collaborations with the Eco-School program and local farms, including a partnership supplying eggs to the canteen, have strengthened community ties.
Elementary school Nábrežie mládeže, Nitra Slovakia
This school in Nitra focuses on enhancing student nutrition, especially for young athletes, by educating them on proper nutrition. Morning community sessions and themed food days introduce students to healthy eating in an engaging way. Students are involved in menu planning, particularly for non-meat dishes, which improves acceptance of healthier options. A catering committee of staff and parents collaborates to continuously improve school meals, making the school a model of best practices in nutrition and sustainability.
Elementary school Vazovova, Bratislava Slovakia
Under Mrs. Tatay Gernátová’s leadership, the school promotes healthy eating and hands-on food education. They implemented a salad bar, reducing food waste and increasing canteen participation. The “I Know What I Eat” program and “Masterchef” class teach nutrition and culinary skills. Annual markets and a herb garden strengthen community bonds and connect students to nature. Hosting international guests and collaborating with chefs showcase their commitment to practical food education and sustainability.
Preschool Lobelka in Liptovský Mikuláš Slovakia
Kindergarten Lobelka in Liptovský Mikuláš led by Mrs. Rojčeková is dedicated to food education and community engagement. Through the SchoolFood4Change program they involve parents in host food-themed events. Their “Cooking with Integrity Together” project brings together chefs, parents and food bloggers to promote healthy school meals for lifelong healthy eating habits.
Sweden
Umeå municipality Sweden
Umeå municipality has been implementing the Whole School Food Approach (WSFA) through its “nature school.” By building a strong local stakeholder group Umeå successfully integrated WSFA into the school curriculum enhancing education for sustainable development. Twenty institutions have achieved at least the bronze level of WSFA fostering a sustainable food culture in schools.