On 30 September 2026, a webinar on reducing food waste in educational institutions at the planning stage was held as part of the “Dialogue with Science” series. During the webinar, experts highlighted how food waste generation can be reduced already at the stage of planning a catering service.
At the beginning of the webinar, Sandija Svarupa presented the Guidelines for Food Waste Reduction in the HoReCa Sector and Educational Institutions developed by the Ministry of Climate and Energy. She emphasized that reducing food waste begins at the very earliest stage of catering service planning, including procurement preparation and implementation, menu planning, and forecasting daily attendance. As various stakeholders are involved in each of these stages, effective communication between all parties is essential to better estimate the required quantities of food products and use available resources more efficiently.
The webinar also highlighted that catering services represent a multidimensional process in which the final outcome, namely well-fed and satisfied students, is influenced by many factors that are not always directly related to food preparation. Therefore, one of the first steps towards food waste reduction is measuring food waste volumes and identifying the underlying causes. This enables stakeholders to determine at which stages food waste occurs most frequently and to establish appropriate targets for future waste reduction. It was also recommended to involve students in food waste measurement activities.
Further steps discussed included improving operational processes, strengthening communication among stakeholders, making more efficient use of resources, and regularly evaluating results while providing feedback on achieved progress.
Ingrīda Millere, representative of the Education Department of Riga City Municipality, spoke about the importance of sustainable procurement in educational institution catering services. She stressed that three key aspects must be considered when organizing sustainable procurement.
The first is the environmental aspect, which includes requirements related to product quality, food waste reduction measures, the use of environmentally friendly kitchen equipment, and environmentally friendly cleaning products.
The second is the social aspect, which focuses on providing balanced menus, ensuring healthy nutrition, and safeguarding employees’ social welfare.
The third is the economic aspect, which includes the use of local products, promotion of short food supply chains, and assessment of suppliers’ financial stability and professional capacity.
Mārtiņš Cimermanis, Head of the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre, presented information on measures implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate the transition from green public procurement to sustainable procurement. He informed participants that the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre is planned to be granted the status of a competence centre for food supply and catering services, with this role to be established through amendments to the Food Chain Supervision Law.
Participants were also informed about the draft Cabinet of Ministers Regulation “Requirements and Procedures for Sustainable Procurement of Food Products and Catering Services”, which is currently under development and will govern the procurement of food products and catering services in the future. Mārtiņš Cimermanis also outlined planned improvements to the Novada Garša platform, which will expand its functionality to support food procurement activities.
The webinar continued with practical insights from Jānis Meija, Member of the Board of FRISTAR Ltd. The company was recognized as Latvia’s best school catering provider for the 2025/2026 academic year for its catering services at Jelgava Technology Secondary School.
Jānis Meija stressed that reducing food waste begins with effective day-to-day work organization. Key prerequisites include carefully planned menus, appropriately sized portions, and accurate information on the number of diners. Food products should be incorporated into menus thoughtfully; for example, the same vegetable can be used in different dishes while maintaining menu variety and flavours that appeal to children.
Proper storage, labelling, and stock rotation based on the “first in, first out” (FIFO) principle are also essential. The company regularly conducts student surveys to gather feedback on catering services and eating habits and maintains close cooperation with school representatives to foster students’ interest in nutritious meals. Particular attention is also paid to measurements and monitoring activities aimed at identifying where food waste is generated.
Special attention during the webinar was given to cooperation between the municipality as the contracting authority, the school administration, the catering company, kitchen staff, and students. To make food waste reduction a routine practice, it is essential to involve all parties and include appropriate solutions already at the planning stage to ensure food is used more efficiently.
The webinar provided participants with practical examples and experience on how sustainable procurement, well-planned catering services, and close cooperation between stakeholders can be used to develop school catering systems that generate less food waste.
The webinar was organized within the framework of the project LIFE20 IPE/LV/000014 “Waste as Resources in Latvia – Promoting Regional Sustainability and Circularity through the Waste as Resources Concept” (LIFE Waste to Resources IP).
Webinar Presentations in Latvian:
