Bioregional products: revolution in communal catering!

Bioregional products: revolution in communal catering!

The demand for sustainable nutrition is increasing, especially in the area of ​​mass catering. According to a study by the University of Hohenheim and ÖKONSULT, the proportion of bioregional products in communal catering in Baden-Württemberg is to be increased to 30 to 40 percent by 2030. The study analyzed 25 scientific articles and 17 project reports and interviewed 15 experts. One of the main objectives of this initiative is to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of bioregional products.

In Germany, around 15 to 18 million people eat in canteens and cafeterias every day. Nevertheless, the current proportion of organic food in public catering nationwide is only just under 1 percent. These numbers illustrate the urgency of developing and implementing sustainable strategies. In order to achieve the set goals, ten concrete recommendations for action were developed that are to be implemented in practice.

Recommendations for action for communal catering

Recommended actions include:

• Klare politische Zielvorgaben: Verbindliche Ziele schaffen Orientierung und Akzeptanz.
• Bio und Regionalität in Vergabeverfahren: Nachhaltigkeit in Ausschreibungen verankern.
• Frischeküchen und kommunale Eigenbetriebe fördern: Erleichterung nachhaltiger Menüplanung und Kooperationen.
• Koordinationsstellen zur Vernetzung institutionalisieren: Kontinuierliche Vernetzungsarbeit vor Ort ist wichtig.
• Logistik- und Bündelungsstrukturen optimieren: Verbesserung der logistischen Hürden für Kleinbetriebe.
• Digitale Werkzeuge gezielt weiterentwickeln: Verbindung von Angebot und Nachfrage bioregionaler Waren.
• KMU für die Vorverarbeitung fördern: Unterstützung für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen in der Vorverarbeitung.
• Fortbildungen und Coachings zu nachhaltiger Gemeinschaftsverpflegung: Stärkung der Kompetenz der Mitarbeitenden.
• Küchenberufe attraktiver machen: Verbesserung der Ausbildung und Arbeitsbedingungen in Großküchen.
• Ernährungsumgebungen nachhaltig gestalten: Aktive Kommunikation und Gestaltung der Essensräume zur Förderung der Akzeptanz.

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection is also funding the BioRegioKantine project, which runs until April 2025 and is intended to contribute to the development of an online platform with stakeholder mapping. This platform is intended to promote exchange in the area of ​​sustainable communal catering.

Joint efforts for sustainability

The challenges facing mass catering are diverse. In many cities, including Berlin and Freiburg, nutritional strategies are developing that aim to offer more organic, regional products in canteens and schools. Local decisions play a crucial role as they enable changes in catering and food supplies. Nevertheless, sourcing regional organic products in the desired quality and quantity often remains a challenge that can be addressed through appropriate training and guidelines. The “Canteen Future” project in Berlin supports kitchen teams with specific training programs that deal with seasonal ingredients and cost issues.

The need for an active nutrition policy is underlined by the enormous health costs of around 70 billion euros annually for nutrition-related diseases in Germany. A shift towards more organic food could not only promote health, but also support farmers' regional sales. This is in line with the federal government's goal of organically farming 20 percent of agricultural land by 2030.

The combination of regional organic goods and sustainable nutrition education is seen as an ideal approach to strengthen this trend. Several federal states and municipalities are already taking action to improve food offerings and promote a change towards more sustainability. The federal government has the opportunity to take on a pioneering role here and thus provide significant impetus for community catering.