Context

There are many small producers of local and organic fruit and vegetable and many others in charge of doing the logistics to drive and distribute products separately through different marketing channels, which is not very energy efficient and economically. These producers have very few resources to invest in equipment and infrastructure, little knowledge and business vision, for the modernization of farms, the generation of added value of their products and be more competitive in the market. The establishment of logistics platforms, networks of farmers, as well as the development of tools and methodologies to encourage a sustainable and competitive supply chain of their products is an essential approach for farming sustainability.
Ecological Public Procurement (CPE) is an important tool to tackle climate change policies regarding sustainable production and consumption. Food public procurement is a powerful transitional key, but it needs to have productive data, define processes, provide tools, in order to include organic food on it. The project focuses on organic fruit and vegetable productions due to its potential of promoting local entrepreneurship through farming in rural and periurban areas. It focus on public schools and universities as pilot initiatives for this transition, in each of which it is also necessary to raise awareness to promote a change of consumption habits and consumers’ preferences. It is essential to start this long therm process in the educational institutions, since eating is an indispensable action for life and health and this transformation is essential to be carried out from the classrooms at all levels of education.

Additional comments

The project is based on the experience and results of the Ecocomedores de Canarias Program promoted by the Canary Islands Government that provides methodological results, of innovative processes that need to be analyzed, improved and taken as a reference in other contexts. From the experiences of Madrid and Valencia to promote sustainable food in the educational environment in public schools and universities.
The support of the research institutions ensures that the various studies are carried out in a rigorous manner and, in addition, with enough human resources.
The space for intervention is the educational community from schools to universities through its dining rooms and the entire food chain involved allowing to articulate a range of population and consumers that are the key to changing consumption habits and preferences. The university plays an important role as a key player in the generation of knowledge.

- Budget: 599.096,54 €
- Fund: 597.896,54€

Additional information

FULL MEMBERSHIP:
- MAIN PARTNERS: Observatorio para una Cultura del Territorio, OCT, Instituto Canario de Calidad Agroalimentaria ICCA, Buscándome las Habichuelas SLU, Universidad de La Laguna ULL, Centro de Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura Internacional CERAI

- OTHER PARTNERS: Madrid Km 0 Centro Logístico S. Coop . Mad, Garúa Intervención Educativa S. Coop. Madrid, Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, IMIDRA, Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias, INTIA, Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Canarias. COAG Canarias, Ajuntament de València, Servici de Pobles de València, secció d’Agricultura i Horta