Knowhow and involvement – children and the young to participate in making more sustainable food culture
Vantaa daycare centers, schools, and educational institutions have long developed the involvement and environmental liability related to meals. Yet, our eating percentages remain too low, and we must increase the environmental liability of eating. The goal of the project is to increase eating percentages while simultaneously diminishing Meal Services’ carbon footprint, as well as to teach children and the young the principles of sustainable lifestyles. Therefore, the project will create a model for joint development, devise new education and learning materials based on present practices, as well as make tasty recipes based on the starting points of children and the young.
The project continues the development of the environmental liability of eating and involvement work, began in 2019. The aims are: to increase eating percentages, to diminish Meal Services’ carbon footprint, and to teach the principles of sustainable lifestyles from early childhood education to upper secondary education, compliant with the curricula, to be integrated in instruction. As result of the project, Vantaa will launch a new operating model for bolstering the strategic development of eating and involvement, education and learning material to support the Carbon Deal mark, as well as develop climate-friendly recipes together with children and the young.
The goals of the project are
- Developing joint operation and increasing involvement
- Creating education and learning material to support the Carbon Deal mark, to be integrated in instruction.
- Developing climate-friendly recipes together with children and the young, and meal-services providers.
Developing and testing during the project
- Based on existing models, we will develop and test an operating model for the environmental liability, involvement and development of institutional meals, applicable to Vantaa. The new operating model aims to serve meal-services providers’ business and the goals set by the city as regards development of eating.
- Education material built around the food Carbon Deal mark. We will test how we can create education and learning material, supporting the realization of the curriculum together with teachers and educators. The material shall have its clear place in implementing instruction and education.
- Developing recipes—that taste good, are low carbon and account for the dietary recommendations—together with children and the young, as well as meal-services providers.
The project is partially financed by the Ministry of the Environment and constitutes part of the Sustainable City program.