The end of the year is approaching, but our food sharing initiatives never stop working for an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food system. From a “Climate Kitchen” event, where international dishes were made accessible and cookable with local ingredients, to a “School Project” with over 300 trees and 500 aromatic plants and vegetables planted, our CULTIVATE partners were busy planning their local activities.
Food sharing initiatives play a crucial role in urban and peri-urban everyday life: they serve as a meeting point and a reference for the citizens, constantly acting for a transition towards a fairer food system.
In this news, we have gathered relevant events and activities that some of the CULTIVATE food sharing initiatives have been up to in the last months, while celebrating the end of the first year of the project. Hoping that this content might inspire some of you, we wish to all our “Cultivators” a happy new year!
zusammen leben
During their last “Climate Kitchen” event, zusammen leben emphasized the significant role our daily food choices play in climate protection. People consume meals multiple times a day, and the initiative advocates for the preference of regional, seasonal, and socio-ecologically produced ingredients. Despite the challenge of aligning with this ideal while enjoying diverse international cuisines, zusammen leben believes in finding innovative solutions.
The December “Climate Kitchen” event featured a collaborative cooking session with Tai Truong, focusing on Vietnamese dishes. The highlight was the reinterpretation of Banh Xeo in a vegetarian, regional, and seasonal manner tailored to Freiburg’s context. Notably, the traditional use of coconut milk was replaced with homemade walnut milk, and lemon was substituted with verjus.
The organizers shared the recipe for this sustainable twist, accessible here.
FoodCloud
On the 24th of October, FoodCloud was delighted to welcome several members of the board and staff of the Global Food Banking Network (GFN). Based in Chicago, with a mission to support the establishment and growth of food banks in developing countries, GFN held its most recent board meeting in Dublin, and the members visited the FoodCloud Hub, Friends of the Elderly (a FoodCloud community partner), and a Tesco store. They experienced the whole process of redistributing surplus food from FoodCloud retail partners to community partners and a demo of Foodiverse, the FSI tech platform that supports food redistribution at scale. Additionally, FoodCloud has also been invited by GFN at the food pavilion at COP 28, to take part in a discussion on carbon, methane and other greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste.
Get to know more about FoodCloud here.
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
For the past three years, the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership “Community Kitchen” has been hosting community cookery sessions for ASSERT, a charity supporting autistic adults and their families. Charlie, a participant, was recently interviewed. He said that he rediscovered his passion for cooking, and the sessions boosted his confidence, leading him to plan to cook at home after moving. Charlie also volunteers at Chop and Chat, dehydrating surplus vegetables for charity, finding joy in contributing to the community and values the diverse conversations during the sessions. Recommending The Community Kitchen, Charlie finally emphasizes the benefits of learning to cook, building a sense of community, and having a good time.
You can read the full interview here.
Utrecht
Last September, the Rijnvliet neighborhood in Utrecht experienced a rewarding month. The community hosted its Lab & Kitchen event, a month-long celebration centered around food, community, and knowledge exchange. Residents and food enthusiasts were encouraged to interact daily with Cascoland at a temporary Lab&Kitchen located at the edge of the food forest.
The highlight of this initiative was not only the multitude of pizzas crafted using locally sourced toppings from the neighborhood and food forest but also the creation of a unique cookbook.
This cookbook showcases recipes utilizing plants from the local area and includes a neighborhood map indicating the locations of edible plants with a guide for wild picking. Moreover, the cookbook provides space for residents to contribute their shared recipes, transforming it into more than just a collection of recipes. It serves as a dynamic starting point, fostering engagement with both recipes and the neighborhood.
More info about the Lab & Kitchen here.
UpFarming
In December, UpFarming experienced a thrilling month, marked by significant strides toward constructing a healthier, more resilient, and sustainable city through comprehensive urban agriculture systems. In the “Prison project”, alongside the installation of 40 aeroponics towers, three workshops were organized, respectively on composting, permaculture principles, and cooking. These workshops not only imparted knowledge about these practices but also provided inmates with hands-on experience.
Simultaneously, in the “School project”, the agroforestry initiative reached its culmination, with the planting of over 300 trees, 500 aromatic plants, and vegetables. This achievement was made possible through the two-days collaboration of over 80 individuals. Additionally, the inaugural harvest from the vertical farm was celebrated, with children actively participating in every stage from seed to plate. This was the occasion for the students to savor fresh vegetables in the school canteen and share the harvest with their families.
More information on UpFarming activities available here.
