04 Oct Science and development in the kitchen: sustainable collective catering

Article from Excelencias Gourmet.

The fourth edition of the Science & Cooking World Congress will land in Barcelona on November 13, 14 and 15, 2023, with the purpose of bringing together experts and professionals in the field of food and gastronomy in Barcelona. Under the motto “Processes. Tradition and innovation”, the congress will address very varied topics, such as collective catering, innovation in food production, the role of botany…, but all of them grouped around the future of food.

One of these themes, collective catering and sustainable food systems, will be reflected on the first day of the event by Florence Egal – Doctor of Medicine with a master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and an expert in food safety, nutrition and livelihoods -, and highly knowledgeable on the subject thanks to her links to the FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – and related projects.

Thus, the doctor will provide an introduction about the state of this essential evolution towards sustainable models. In addition, she will be accompanied in this presentation by Tine Kardos – chef, gastronomic advisor and team manager at Meyers Madhus – who will present her experiences under the theme “Changing food systems through flavor: experiences from Denmark”, in which she will explain the dynamics for Help public and private organizations in projects related to the development of local food culture and the creation of healthy businesses and the promotion of social change, with food as the central axis.
The FAO will also be the protagonist in a presentation that same Monday the 13th, regarding school feeding programs with indigenous youth and the organization’s own experience in this regard, a talk that will be presented by Yon Fernandez-de-Larrinoa, Head of the Peoples Unit Indigenous Peoples of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

360º model with the INDITEX stamp

Likewise, at the event there will be the opportunity to learn about the successful project developed by INDITEX, the “360º Model”, which proposes a new collective catering system that is more sustainable, more inclusive, with more social benefits and less environmental costs. This initiative has achieved great results in the company canteens where it has been established, and through the presentation we will try to show that it can be perfectly replicated in companies, hotels, school canteens…

Not only actions, but also solutions

As they want to claim from the congress itself, these talks and presentations are not only prescriptive, but also aim to offer solutions and ideas to face the challenges that arise in the food industry.
That is why, from the first day of the Science & Cooking World Congress, a working table will be organized aimed at preparing a document with a series of points agreed upon by producers, chefs, scientists and companies. This document will be agreed upon during the Congress and will be presented on November 15, on the final day, hoping that it can be useful so that the Collective Restoration project for sustainable food systems is massive.
Likewise, another of the great news regarding the theme of the event comes from the other side of the pond, and that is that on April 17, 2023, the publication by the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, was known and the city’s first integrated greenhouse gas inventory, which incorporates emissions from food production and consumption.
Emissions that represent 20 percent of New York City’s total emissions, which is why the mayor’s office and the institution publicly commit to reducing the city’s food emissions by 33 percent by 2030.

Cover photo:

Florence Egal Coordinator and moderator of the block of presentations on Collective Restoration for Sustainable Food Systems.