21/06/2022

They make it happen! Green public procurement in Copenhagen’s public kitchens

Organic contributes to promoting and delivering healthy and sustainable diets. This is part of our Vision 2030 set out and shared by the European organic movement. As movement and sector, we are already leading the way towards its goals, together with food and farming actors across Europe.

Denmark is at the forefront of organic conversions in public canteens, achieving a national government goal of 60% organic. This organic agenda, pursued since 2001, sees an intense collaboration among organic farmers, food companies and wholesalers in Organic Denmark.

The Municipality of Copenhagen has the explicit goal of reaching 90% organic throughout the procurement of all the 900 kitchens that produce meals across the city. In recent years, the municipality has put much effort into ensuring that the organic transition in the kitchens will be supported by quality, organic procurement and tenders that encourage the market to develop the organic and sustainable parts of their product ranges.

As a direct result, recent years have seen a professionalisation of the organic supply lines into the canteens, schools, hospitals and nursing homes, where it is now possible to get a wide range of organic products in catering sizes, freshly butchered organic meat in a wide variety of cuts, and a wide diversity in the offering of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Read more about this initiative on euorganic2030.bio, and share it on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Find out what other initiatives are transforming food and farming in Europe on social media using #EUorganic2030.

As IFOAM Organics Europe, we are actively advocating for sustainable public procurement. Are you curious? Read more about it on our Food policy page and check out its benefits in our infographic.

The work of IFOAM Organics Europe on this topic is co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Union, under the under the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). This publication only reflects the views of the authors and its sole responsibility lies with IFOAM Organics Europe. CINEA is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information provided.

 
IFoam
I accept I do not accept