Following engagement with sustainable food research and action for several years, “Sustainable Food” was explicitly established as a strategic political priority by the Regional Ministers of Brussels for the years 2009-2014 (Knops, 2013). The food industry represents 10% of industrial employment in Brussels and is the third largest industrial sector in the Region. Many companies were already engaged with Sustainable Food, with ca. 1,500 persons in the Brussels Capital Region employed in sustainable catering and processing (Sustainable Everyday Project, 2012).
One of the most successful campaigns to date is the “Sustainable Canteens” project coordinated by Brussels Environment Ministry, which supports public canteens (e.g. in schools, care homes, administrations) that want to transition to sustainable food. Every day 270,000 meals are served in canteens across Brussels, with 40% of meals taken outside of the home. Theoretical and practical training is provided to kitchen staff in participating canteens – to date 94 canteens, including 40 within the public sector, have been involved, representing almost 85,000 meals a day (Sustainable Everyday Project, 2012). This included 15 schools and two providers of school meals, accounting for 30,000 meals per day. Around 6,000 new students were engaged in the project each year, leading to the development of independent school-led sustainable food projects across 16 schools.
The Sustainable Canteens project encourages the gradual introduction of more fruits and vegetables (preferably of local origin), the use of organic produce, and the reduction of food wastage. Specifications are developed to help organisations integrate sustainability criteria into their procurement. The region has set a target of 125,000 ‘sustainable’ meals per day in 2015; with the ultimate goal for all public canteens to offer sustainable meals (Brussels Sustainable City, 2014).
"The training confirmed our instincts about quality food, and enabled us to establish contact with other actors and share recipes and ideas for implementation. It caught our imagination, because the method allows you to move forward step by step. Preparing tasty and high quality food is very rewarding for both staff and customers, including those in short trousers. Sustainable food is a never-ending source of pleasure. Sustainable eating is not just for the rich, it’s simply another way of eating." Jeanne Collard, TCO Service (which serve 7,000 meals a day in schools) (Brussels Sustainable City, 2014).