The target groups are Education (teachers in primary, secondary and vocational education), Entrepreneurs (suppliers, producers, intermediaries and caterers) and Authorities (policy officers from municipalities and provinces).

Plenary session

During the plenary session, you will learn more about all aspects of food waste, led by chairperson Rosa Lucassen. How is it that so much food is wasted, and why should we do something about it? Toine Timmermans from Wageningen University will strongly emphasise the urgency of this issue and discuss the importance of valuing our food differently. You will also be presented with surprising and creative examples of how education and the business community are giving concrete substance to saving food.

One of the entrepreneurs is Loes van der Meulen, who saves and sells discarded fruit and vegetables in Arnhem from her mobile shop, ‘Blauwe Tomaat’. Other parties taking the floor include dairy farmer Bart Lubbers and the Jongerenadvies Bureau IVN Friesland.

Workshops

There are five workshops in total, each lasting one hour. Visitors can register for one workshop.

WORKSHOP 1: Sustainability and preventing food waste in the Healthy School Canteen

The Netherlands Nutrition Centre has developed guidelines for healthier school canteens. Sustainability is also taken into account. In this workshop, led by Gijs Kurth, we will explore how sustainability and waste prevention in the school canteen can reinforce each other. We will also examine how pupils can play an active role. De Nieuwste School in Tilburg provides a fine example of the possibilities.

WORKSHOP 2: Junior Consultancy Training on Food Waste – Wageningen Youth Institute/WUR

During this workshop, Mirjam Troost and Erica van Herpen will demonstrate how food waste can be taught to HAVO and VWO students. Using professional assignments from WUR, we will discuss how students can develop solutions to food waste. The focus will be on best-before dates and consumer behaviour. NB: students and teachers are very welcome.

WORKSHOP 3: MBO Food Waste Challenge

In autumn 2019, fifty teams of vocational students will tackle real-life food waste issues submitted by companies. How does such a challenge work, and why are teachers and students lining up to take part? Laura Roebroeck (Coöperatie Leren voor Morgen) will discuss with you how to design a Challenge to make it as promising as possible.

WORKSHOP 4: What role can the government play in preventing waste?

In the first part of this workshop, Pieter Rijzebol from the Province of Gelderland will take a closer look at short supply chains, the Gelders Food Knowledge Network and the City Deal Food on Urban and Provincial Agendas. In the second part, Roos Hollenberg from the municipality of Wageningen will explain how they address food waste. They do so through practical actions in shops, by focusing on education and awareness, circularity and local food. What are the success factors and tips, and how can this be tackled elsewhere?

WORKSHOP 5: The Pitch Corner

Be inspired in the Pitch Corner by various initiatives that have immersed themselves in the problems surrounding food waste. These range from teaching modules for secondary education and delicious food-waste cakes to major collaborations with a wide range of parties to tackle food waste.

The following parties will present themselves:

  • Jongeren Advies Bureau IVN-Friesland: collaboration between first-year secondary school pupils and entrepreneurs. What does this look like?
  • Following on from its taste lessons, WUR has developed a teaching module on food waste: Smaakmissie Voedselverspilling. Get a sneak preview here!
  • Improve the world by eating cake? That is what Trash’ure Taarten stands for. Combating food waste, truly sustainable food and truly fair food are at the heart of its work.
  • Duurzaam Diner Natuurcentrum: organic products sourced locally are served at highly unusual locations.
  • Farmer Suzanne Ruesink will explain more about how to get to know your consumers, an oxen adoption plan and ‘nose-to-tail’ processing.
  • Regio Foodvalley (the area around Ede-Wageningen) will present the Fieldlab Food Waste currently in development. The issue of food waste is being investigated from different perspectives and with various partners (entrepreneurs, education and JLE-Gelderland). Education and awareness are important perspectives.

You can register for the national Jong Leren Eten thematic afternoon here.