Sustainable food

  • Sustainable Food - icon

    Sustainable food

    Eating habits have a major impact on climate change and environmental degradation. Ghent tackles these issues by making its local food system more sustainable.

Sustainable Food - icon

Sustainable food

Eating habits have a major impact on climate change and environmental degradation. Ghent tackles these issues by making its the local food system more sustainable.

  • Globally, 800 million people suffer from hunger, while an estimated 30% of food is wasted. The city's food strategy 'Gent en Garde' makes the local food system more sustainable with respect for people, animals and the planet, by focusing on 3 strategic objectives:

    • A short, sustainable food chain
    • Sustainable food for everyone
    • no food waste

programme

Ghent's sustainable food projects & plans

  • Foodsavers

    Foodsavers in Ghent collects food surpluses via a logistics platform and delivers them to social organisations in Ghent.

    More info about Foodsavers
    gent en garde foodsavers
  • Restorestje

    Less food waste with the Restorestje: a handy box to take home the surplus food after a restaurant visit.

    More info about Restorestje
    Restorestje

Our secret ingredient: co-creative governance

  • One of the important aspects of Ghent's food strategy is its innovative governance model involving numerous stakeholders. The model is based on co-creation and participation.The Ghent food council:

    • Brings together some 30 representatives of the agricultural sector, distribution and trade, restaurants, civil society and knowledge institutions.
    • Gives advice to the city, acts as a sounding board and is also actively involved in the development of the objectives and priorities.
    • Has its own budget to stimulate innovative projects that make the food system more sustainable.

Sustainable food awards & partnerships

Ghent's food policy received several national and international awards and is an active partner in several international food cooperations.