How did BioCanteens good practice helped the LAG Pays des Condruses to involve its local elected representatives?

In early May, the LAG Pays des Condruses and Devenirs hosted in Belgium BioCanteens 3rd transnational meeting. The discussed topic was food governance and was a good opportunity for the hosts to present to their European partners (Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Portugal and France) the territorial development and social economy projects developped (cooking and organic gardening trainings, farm incubator, central kitchen, meal production for 12 primary schools...).

Onthe 8th of may, a discussion with Marc Tarabella (European Deputee and Mayor of Anthisnes) and some local and international (from the partner cities) elected representatives was organised. This was a first step for the LAG, that aims to involve more local elected representatives in the canteens development and in the implementation of an ambitious and sustainable food governance. The goal is to associate them to create a farm platform that will provide 100% of organic vegetable needed by the canteens, and to hire a gardener to produce those vegetables, while maintaining competitive prices.

The development of social actions:

In cooperation with the presidents of the Social Action Centers (CPAS), a social tariff policy is also under consideration. Currently, it is the same price for all: 3 € for kindergarten and 3.80 € for primary school pupils, which can be a barrier for some families. A first meeting was organised in early April, with Anthisnes and Marchin’s Social Action Centers presidents, Yolande Huppe and Renaud Jallet, who confirmed their interest in the process. They will be ambassadors for other Social Action Center, who will be invited to a meeting with all the social actors of Pays des Condruses’s 7 towns to inform them about the tariff policy and move towards the goal of having a common social policy on the territory. In parallel, a study to assess the impact of the canteen on children, parents, teachers ... will be conducted in the next months.

Contact:

Kathleen Vanhandenhoven – kathleen@galcondruses.be