Vegetable and school restaurant “BIO et Local”France
France
Introduction
Food is an increasingly important subject in everyday life. Junk food, obesity, pesticides, excess sugar, salt and the origin of products are all subjects that concern the “eaters”, and in particular the parents of young children. Based on this observation, and building on the “BoCal” (Bon et loCal) approach taken in the context of the animation of the Territorial Food Projects (PAT) developed by the Community of Municipalities of Grand Pic Saint-Loup and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Le Passe Muraille has set itself the objective of creating a quality collective school catering unit favoring a supply of local, organic and seasonal productions that will be managed by a company and a job insertion site. This ambitious study-action project has taken the challenge of combining several themes around a network of usually unconnected partners (agriculture, social inclusion, vocational training and collective catering). Bet today succeeded!
Presentation of the project
Food has been declared a “major regional cause 2018/2019” by the Occitanie Region. This approach was based on expert consultation and broad citizen consultation, from which the future challenges for healthy and sustainable food, local short-circuit supply, awareness of responsible food, solidarity from field to plate emerged. It is precisely in this context that the From Earth to Plate project has positioned itself. Its twin objectives are: to design meals for collective school catering based on a 100% choice of organic and local products, by promoting the “home-made” and integrating a system to combat food waste; to meet the need for skilled workers in the hotel/catering trades in tension on the Department by promoting the social and professional integration of the most vulnerable audiences.
To this end, two structures have been created within the territory of the Community of Municipalities (an integration company and a job site) whose activity will enable the marketing and development of a school catering service in the form of a SCIC (associating the local authorities). The challenge is now successful, thanks in part to the unifying role played by LEADER, with networking initiated both with external partners (FR CIVAM, Chambre d’Agriculture) and with other LEADER projects (MFR,). Thanks to an approach of “improving food quality”, it is now 4 municipalities, and soon 8, of the territory and more broadly 12 schools in total that have voluntarily entrusted the provision of school meals to the association Passe Muraille and SCIC De La Terre à l’Assiette. The adventure started in 2019 culminated today: the creation of an insertion site with 15 positions, including 3 supervisors, the creation of 2 insertion companies with 26 positions, including 8 insertion at the opening of a self-service restaurant.
This means that 41 posts are now being created for this project, including 21 permanent jobs and 20 jobs in the labor market. More than 2,000 meals/days are produced today in organic and local production. Development continues in the neighboring territories of the Pic Saint loup. Many local producers in organic farming are growing thanks to the partnership generated by this action.
The emblematic character of the project
Many families are choosing a different, healthier, more responsible, more ethical diet.
This change in behavior, which is particularly evident on our territory, is linked to the current societal challenges of relocation and reappropriation of our food. The ‘From the Earth to the Plate’ project fully responds to these problems by relying on two priority axes defined in the Grand Pic Saint-Loup LAG’s strategy: promoting short circuits, promoting and enhancing local production (Fiche-Action 4) and promoting the adaptability of the public in search of employment and encouraging the return to employment (Fiche-Action 2).
Accompanying the realization of this project is showing that it is POSSIBLE. It is possible to accompany this change in behavior even in school catering. It is possible to make collective catering by sourcing locally organic and seasonal products.
This “From the Earth to the Plate” project, which is based on simple principles and the strong will of local institutional, public and private actors, helps to promote the image of a territory by associating it with a high food quality policy and can be modeled and developed on other territories, for school catering, or any other type of catering out of home. The total number of jobs created 41 is up for grabs and allows an absolutely exceptional return on investment of EAFRD €25 000.
Pictures
Le Passe Muraille
Grand Pic Saint-Loup
Occitanie
