An autumn of recruitment has begun! At the same time as our 16 SchoolFood4Change cities and regions are recruiting their very first schools, the project needs to think one step ahead. Therefore, recruitment of more cities has already started. From January 2023 onwards we are ready to welcome more cities – so-called Replication cities – into the SchoolFood4Change family. Learn more about what Replication cities are and how to become one here!
SchoolFood4Change places a strong emphasis on cities, acknowledging their transformative influence over health, schools and public procurement and their direct impact on citizens. At the moment, cities all across Europe and beyond face various similar challenges: public health issues, climate change, and social inequality. The SchoolFood4Change consortium of 43 partners, including 16 local governments from 12 different countries, all know that schools can be a key intervention point to address all the three above mentioned. Our tool? School food!
By improving school food, the carbon footprint of schools can be drastically reduced and the health and well-being of our children improved, both with a large cascade of co-benefits. Good food at school is important for the whole society since it brings benefits in education, local and national economy and can act as a preventive health measure to combat malnutrition in all its forms.
This is the rationale for SchoolFood4Change: to shift school meals and schools into a new paradigm, one that centers on public health as well as territorial, social, and environmental resilience.
Do you want to shift school meals into a new paradigm? Become a SchoolFood4Change Replication City!
Our project has one key objective: to develop innovative, locally relevant solutions to make healthy and sustainable food accessible for all children. SchoolFood4Change is an EU-funded project running from January 2022 to December 2025. This is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy. On its way to reach this objective, SF4C builds on a strong partnership with cities across Europe and wants to connect with more cities which have an interest in transforming their school food and thus, their local food systems.
SchoolFood4Change will choose up to 20 Replication Cities to pilot actions, solutions and approaches in and outside the EU. The participants can be city or regional administrations who can directly impact school meals (e.g. by having the responsibility for food procurement) and are interested in implementing actions in their territory. By becoming a SchoolFood4Change Replication City, replicators have the opportunity to learn from cities that have already started experimenting with new solutions. They can benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with pioneering cities, be supported by various experts within the area, help us prove that sustainable public procurement doesn’t imply higher costs, conduct site visits offering first-hand learning experiences, and participate in personalized trainings.
Join the quest for more sustainable (school) food systems by becoming a SF4C Replication City!
Timeline
20 additional cities, both in and outside of EU, now have a unique and limited opportunity to express interest in becoming a SchoolFood4Change Replication City until 14 November 2022. Replication activities will start in January 2023.
Learn more!
If you are interested in joining the project as a Replication City, or have any questions, please read more here or send an email to: info@schoolfood.giftgruen.com/at