Vienna ‘naturally good’ school meals

Food is responsible for ca. 20% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Austria; with edible food waste accounting for 14.7% of residual waste in Vienna (Stocker, 2013).  Public canteens register particularly high levels of food waste with 385 tonnes (t) food/year discarded at schools and 240 t food/year at kindergartens (Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut, 2010)

ÖkoKauf Wien or ‘EcoBuy Vienna’ (Wien, 2014) is the sustainable public procurement programme of the Vienna City Administration, under which goods and services are bought according to environmental considerations, defined in legally binding eco-criteria and guidelines. These criteria are applicable to all departments and offices of the administration, along with public services under their operational control such as municipal hospitals and retirement homes.

Natürlich gut Teller or ‘Naturally Good Plates’ is the leading sustainable food programme of ÖkoKauf Wien. Natürlich gut Teller aims to reduce the negative impact of the food & drink industry, reduce consumption and improve health. CO2eq emission levels vary greatly across canteens, depending on food production methods and seasonality and origin of food. Through the use of organic-food labels, regional products and reduction of meat and fish, GHG emissions levels from field to plate can be significantly reduced.

The natürlich gut Teller criteria document has four essential requirements (ÖkoKauf Wien, 2012):

  1. At least one organic component per meal
  2. Seasonal fruit and vegetables must be used
  3. Less meat; ethically sourced with a maximum of 90g per meal portion (down from an average of 200-250g)
  4. Fish must be organic or sustainable; and from an approved fish list (such as: WWF, 2014)

There are six additional discretionary criteria, two of which should be implemented in each meal:

  1. Two-thirds of the meal should consist of vegetable components
  2. One third of ingredients should be local (regional)
  3. At least one fair trade component
  4. No convenience foods permitted, e.g. frozen vegetables and seasoned meats
  5. Minimal packaging and no single-portion consumables (e.g. milk, juice, yoghurt)
  6. Innovative non-traditional cooking, such as vegetarian or foreign cuisines

The programme has proved particularly successful in moving school canteens towards organic produce without causing additional expense for the customer/parent.  Every day 30,000lunches containing 50% organic produce are eaten across 361 municipal childcare facilities; with an additional 18,000 students from 90 schools eating a daily lunch with 30% organically grown foods (Natürlich weniger Mist, 2014). Every retirement home in Vienna also offers a compliant dish at least 3-4 times a week. Staff were trained in the guidelines and chefs were consulted and engaged; communication, particularly to older people in retirements homes, was also a significant component of the campaign.