System change begins with those affected
Mapping a complex system like the one around school meals requires research. All different sustainability aspects and parts of the system need to be covered. In the project, we, therefore, work with everything from food as part of the education and new ways of using school restaurants and school kitchens, to logistics and reduced food waste. It can also be about farmers' conditions for producing sustainable food, which in turn is demanded and procured by the municipalities.
In the research work, more than 80 interviews were conducted with, among others, students, school principals, and meal chefs, teachers, parents, principals, politicians, food producers, and industry organizations, which has resulted in new insights. Working needs-driven with an innovation process often provides new perspectives.
– This is a new method for us at the National Food Administration, to experiment with new solutions together with others, project manager Ulrika Backlund said when the project was launched.
The ideas are now being tested in practice in four municipalities
During the past year, several authorities have jointly identified important areas to address to make the system around school meals more sustainable. Now those thoughts will be tested in practice in four municipalities. Munkedal, Hofors, Vallentuna, and Karlstad were selected from 25 applicants, as they have different challenges and are assessed to have good conditions to be able to change their school meal system.
These include smarter procurement of sustainable food, increasing competence in sustainable food at all levels - from politicians to educators - and involving students to a greater extent.
Results and lessons learned from the four municipalities will be used when the project is scaled up.
At the national level, we may, for example, need to screw up curricula or rules for procurement and food handling, or develop national goals and strategies to give schools and businesses the conditions to work sustainably, said project manager Ulrika Backlund when the project was launched.
System innovation to meet the global sustainability goals
- Design, innovation, and system mapping are powerful tools and together they can create the change that companies, as well as authorities, need to make to meet the sustainability goals towards 2030, says Erik Hammarström, Antrops Head of Business Design.