Famous for its bikes, bridges and pastries, the Danish capital is also a European leader in food policy.
Since 2001, the city has developed a food strategy that combines health, taste and climate responsibility. Copenhagen has embarked on a long-term project to improve public meals by ensuring all products are organic and using fewer meat-based products. The city also changed its procurement guidelines and initiated a dialogue with key food supply chain actors.
In Copenhagen, the municipal kitchens prepare more than 115.000 meals daily. In 2019, the city introduced an ambitious food strategy with the target of purchasing 90% organic food and reducing the carbon footprint of meals associated with food service by 25% before 2025. The municipality uses public food procurement as a tool to promote systemic change in the food system. As of 2023, the city has already reduced the climate impact of their food procurement by 25%, reaching their target more than a year ahead of schedule.
To boost its efforts even more, Copenhagen joined the Food Trails Project and established a Living Lab, developing pilot actions aligned with the EU “Food 2030” Strategy and aiming to leverage the potential of the public food procurement process to implement food policy goals and drive sustainability within food systems.
Pilot 1 – Public Food Procurement. Roadmap for procurement policy development
The city produced a roadmap documenting the evolution of its procurement policy and its alignment with climate policy, food strategy and national dietary guidelines, aimed at disseminating knowledge nationally and internationally. The roadmap has been developed to facilitate the knowledge sharing about the why and how the development of the procurement policy in a city is an important process to be part of for the food procurement people. This knowledge tool was designed also as a means of communication with other cities of interest at the national and European levels.
Pilot 2 – The Price of a Meal. Developing a financial model to ensure that sustainable meals can be provided within the budget of the municipality
Copenhagen developed a budget model to promote healthy and environmentally friendly food in schools. In May 2023, a workshop with five city departments tackled the challenge of balancing budget estimation with kitchen autonomy and dietary guidelines. The collaboration with the finance department advanced the model, aiming for a replicable solution city-wide.
Pilot 3 – Food Education. Kit for pupils aged from 10 to 12 on sustainable farming
Introducing innovative procurement criteria, the city opened its food tenders to small and medium-sized enterprises and farmers, linking food supply to education. As part of Food Trails, the city partnered with a potato farmer who provided potatoes for school meals and created an educational YouTube video on sustainable farming. The children had the opportunity to visit the potato farm and to learn hands-on about potatos growing through dedicated “potato kits”, ideated by the municipality and distributed by the farmer.
Pilot 4 – Kitchen App. App to support communication between kitchen staff and procurement officers
To improve and facilitate communication between kitchen staff and the central procurement office, a Kitchen App was developed, enabling better monitoring, controlling and follow-up with the wholesaler. By using this user-friendly technology, Copenhagen seeks to boost the agricultural productivity of small-scale producers and improve their ability to actively contribute to the supply chain for kitchens and schools. The App helps bridge the gap between the procurement office and kitchens.
Living lab numbers
900+
potato growing kits distributed to children
aged 10-12
1
High-level conference at EU Level to share
knowledge on Public Food Procurement
1
Kitchen App to support communication between
kitchen staff and procurement officers
