FOOD4INCLUSION PROJECT

About Food4Inclusion Project

1 in 4 Europeans suffers from at least one form of poverty and 43 million Europeans cannot afford a quality meal every second day.

Current crises are leading many countries to face growing levels of severe food insecurity. With global poverty on the rise and inequalities exacerbated, notably by the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable households with reduced incomes across Europe are considered as primary victims. They are not able to cope with such surging retail prices and that leads to a reduction in the quality and quantity of the food purchased.

Disadvantaged groups should be able to access affordable and quality food. SAFE ‘s Food4Inclusion Project strives to make healthy diets accessible through ground projects such as food redistribution or healthy accessible meals in restaurants for people in need. SAFE is also advocating for better affordability of food products across Europe and for the social inclusion of at-risk and disadvantaged population groups.

The Food4Inclusion Project aims to generate a positive impact on European citizens, especially disadvantaged ones, by providing independent information, developing relevant training, and encouraging the adoption of a new legislation that will lead to a more inclusive food system.

These objectives participate to put into practice EU action plans like the European Pillar of Social Rights, including the Pillar 1 on Education training and life-long learning and the Pillar 11 on Childcare and support to children.

Children nutrition trainings

The World Health Organisation recommends a maximum daily sugar intake of 24 grams for children aged 7 to 10, and 28 grams for those aged 11 to 18. However, studies indicate that the average child’s sugar intake far exceeds these limits, with an average of 55 grams consumed daily. Educating children about healthier eating habits is the first step in enabling them to make informed decisions and adopt lifestyles that prevent obesity and related diseases.

SAFE organises nutrition trainings for children in schools, primarily targeting schools in disadvantaged areas, as disadvantaged families have notably been identified as the prime consumers of ultra-processed and high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods. SAFE developed a training programme which consist in two modules: 1) One aiming to foster food literacy, which teaches children about dietary guidelines in a comprehensive manner, understand the difference between minimally and ultra-processed, HFSS foods, while also teaching them how to decode food labels. 2) The second module will tackle childhood obesity prevention by focusing on sugar consumption, presenting the different forms of sugar and how to calculate daily intakes.

Healthy Meal

Food insecurity is on the rise, and the higher cost of living forced many families to change consumption patterns, also on food, often opting for less healthy choices, and inhibited socialisation habits, including meals in restaurants.

Healthy Meal is a project aimed at creating a network of restaurants offering healthy, nutritious and sustainable meals to disadvantaged families at an affordable price. After a trial phase in 2023, the project has entered its operational stage and expanded its geographival reach. It was introduced in six European countries, namely Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Italy, and Romania.