The contribution of collective catering to the well-being and sustainability of future generations

Collective catering—and specifically that in the schools—has a strategic role in promoting healthy and sustainable eating habits, especially for the new generations, and it is a unique laboratory of nutrition and social inclusion.  

Each year in Italian schools, 403 million meals are served, with a trend that has remained essentially stable in recent years. Of these, 69% is provided by collective catering operators, with a value of approx. €1.2 billion.

And yet, 1 child out of 2 in Italy does not use the school meal service, with major geographical discrepancies: from an average of 33% in northern Italy, it rises to peaks of over 80% in Sicily and Molise.

Using this as a base, The European House – Ambrosetti, in collaboration with Elior, has prepared the position paper titled “The contribution of collective catering to the well-being and sustainability of future generations”. The report analyzes the current status of the school meal service in Italy and highlights its system-wide value on an economic, social and environmental level, while also identifying opportunities and obstacles to its development and defining a series of policy recommendations capable of reinforcing its strategic role in shaping the eating habits of the Italians of tomorrow.