FOODWISE – Food Waste Innovation For Sustainable Eating

The FOODWISE – Food Waste Innovation for Sustainable Eating project addresses the increase in food waste in Italy (up 45% in the last year) and in particular that in school canteens and households. The need arises from the complexity of the phenomenon: fruit and vegetables are the most wasted foods, despite their fundamental role in children's diets. The project targets schools and households with coordinated and participatory actions to reduce waste, improve the nutritional quality of meals and strengthen sustainable food education.

FOODWISE combines multidisciplinary expertise: nutrition, food education, project management, behavioural analysis, innovation and digital. In addition, it provides operational and technical support at all stages: diagnosis of waste at school and at home, development of a home tracking app, co-creation of menus with children and families, mentoring and coaching activities, and awareness-raising events. The contribution of CibuSalus allows the integration of nutritional models and methodologies to quantify the health benefits of interventions, ensuring that strategies are consistent with public health objectives. The partnership includes public enterprises, universities, municipalities and international networks, led by a project manager with expertise in sustainable food systems. The Target-Measure-Act approach ensures traceability, effectiveness and sustainability, with potential for scalability to other European territories and countries.

The expected result is a 10–15% reduction in vegetable waste, better alignment of meals with nutritional standards, and increased community engagement (>300 participants). The project aims to provide replicable evidence at European level and to promote public policies for sustainable canteens.