A concrete turning point for Make Italian university canteens more sustainable From an environmental, social and economic point of view: the National Association of Bodies for the right to university study (Andisu) has published the new guidelines For sustainable university catering, a practical and innovative tool to transform the collective catering of universities.
Every day in Italy over 4 million meals are served to students and university staff (Andisu data): it is clear that the canteens play a key role not only for the right to study, but also for food education, public health and the enhancement of territorial cuisine.
For the first time in Italy, an operating manual is provided to the entities that allows to improve the sustainability of catering in three areas:
More vegetable dishes and a 100% veg day every two weeks
One of the most interesting and innovative points is attention to the protein transition: the new guidelines provide for a daily offer of vegetable -based dishes for each course, and at least one day every two weeks with 100% vegetable menu. A real novelty, if you think that in 2023 one in two university canteen did not offer vegetable seconds, and only 20% offered them 1-2 times a week (source: Ranking menoperpiù).
The guidelines also speak of standardized portions, useful for reducing waste and improving nutritional balance, and an evaluation scheme based on three factors:
These criteria help to build sustainable recipe books, stimulating a conscious choice by students.
Green contracts and continuous monitoring
The guidelines are also designed for those who write the tender specifications, providing models consistent with the minimum environmental criteria (CAM). Tools for monitoring results and continuous improvement are also suggested, making the system transparent and verifiable. The plant is based on European standards but also on the Italian Constitution, which has explicitly protected the environment since 2022.
Tuscany is confirmed at the forefront of these themes: it was in fact the Tuscan DSU that coordinates the national work table for the drafting of the guidelines, already in line with the most advanced experiences in Europe, such as that of the French Crous, which aims to halve animal proteins by 2050, or of the German DSW, which promotes a “climate-friendly” cuisine.
A step forward also thanks to the climate canteen campaign
This result is also the result of the commitment of civil society. The canteen campaign for the climate, launched in 2022 to be animal and relaunched with Legambiente since 2024, has the aim of making 50% of Italian university menus vegetables, involving students, universities and entities for the right to study.
The same Menoperpiù project contributed to the definition of the criteria now adopted by Andisu, demonstrating the effectiveness of the collaboration between public bodies and environmental activism.
To enthusiastically greet the news of the new guidelines are precisely being animals and Legambiente, who speak of a possible “virtuous revolution” to guarantee more attentive menus to the environment, animals and health:
From today the virtuous revolution can start to guarantee more sustainable menus in all Italian universities, thanks to the practical tool for the canteens developed by Andisu to evaluate the environmental impact of catering, provide more balanced meals, reduce food waste and formulate “green contracts” in line with the protection of the environment and animals requested by citizens, EU regulations and the Italian Constitution. We will be at the side of the university entities on this path.
