Sustainable and innovative public procurement for school catering: an international dialogue at the Compraverde Forum

25 May 2025

Promoting more sustainable and innovative purchasing choices in school catering: this is the focus of the event “SF4C – Sustainable and Innovative Procurement for School Catering” to be held at the Compraverde Buygreen Forum in Rome, using the collaborative approach of the World Café.

A dynamic and informal format that will foster open dialogue between international experts from public bodies, supplier companies and academic institutions, who will discuss strategies, solutions and best practices for more responsible public procurement. The initiative will be held in English and Italian, with simultaneous translation, to ensure maximum participation of international stakeholders.

The issue of sustainable procurement for school catering remains crucial in the context of the ecological transition: ensuring effective, environmentally responsible and socially inclusive contracts is a challenge involving public administrations, private operators and citizens.

During the meeting, participants will be divided into working groups to explore a number of key issues: from the use of local and organic products to the reduction of food waste, from the inclusion of social criteria in tender specifications to the development of innovative business models inspired by the circular economy. Through the analysis of concrete case studies, the groups will develop practical recommendations to be made available to administrations and companies committed to making school canteens greener and more inclusive. The results of the discussions will then be shared in plenary, with the ambition of providing useful input to improve Green Public Procurement (GPP) policies at national and European level.

The event is part of the European project SchoolFood4Change, which aims to transform school food systems by using procurement as a lever for change.

SF4C – Sustainable and innovative procurement for school catering
Event in English
15th May 2025 | 09:30 – 11:30 | Pinchera Hall – Compraverde Buygreen Forum, Rome

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