Exchange sessions on educational and gastronomic interventions carried out in school canteens

Assessment of the results obtained and their impact on reducing food waste.

The aim of the exchange session was to gather the assessment of the managers of the 20 participating educational centres regarding the educational interventions coordinated by Fundació Espigoladors and the gastronomic interventions coordinated by GOe Tech Center, both within the European GUSTOS project. The session sought to identify the facilitating factors and main barriers encountered during the process, as well as to collect recommendations for future actions.

Overall, the assessment of the gastronomic and educational interventions was positive, with good results in relation to food waste. The involvement of kitchen staff, the impact of the intervention on reducing the waste generated, and the effect of the interventions in encouraging reflection and raising awareness of the need to reduce food waste were particularly highlighted.

In the case of the educational interventions, emphasis was placed on the value of carrying out measurements and pedagogical games in parallel, helping to raise awareness among both pupils and the adults involved. The importance of strengthening the involvement of families was also highlighted, in order to ensure greater consistency between the messages conveyed at the educational centre and in the family environment. The participatory dynamics carried out during the project were identified as the elements that generated the greatest impact and level of engagement.

Time and resource constraints should be noted as an important barrier for both educational teams and the professionals involved in implementing the interventions.

In the case of the gastronomic interventions, it was concluded that simpler and more standardised procedures should be applied in future interventions, while also strengthening the involvement of families in order to generate lasting changes in the menus.

For more information about the GUSTOS project, write to gustos@ausolan.com