Climate change and environmental degradation constitute an existential threat to Europe and the rest of the world. Therefore, international efforts are being made at the political level to address this challenge and mitigate its consequences with actions such as environmental labels for sustainable schools. However, these labels do not address the specific nature of VET schools devoted to the HoReCa sector, which requires specialized training and special sustainable certification.
The ECO-TAG project focuses on this specific challenge from the point of view of VET schools devoted to cooking, gastronomy, culinary arts, kitchen management, and catering services. It will work to address their environmental impact and their relationship with the food sector. This will allow the generation of specific and general sustainable competencies (with the European sustainability framework “Green Comp” as a basis), change behaviors and thus reduce the carbon footprint.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
- The accessibility and dissemination of international policies on sustainability in the food sector and its relation to VET of qualifications such as cookery gastronomy.
- Apply the new EU Green Comp Framework to the VET sector in cooking and gastronomy, contributing to innovation and updating the education system.
- Validate and certify the culinary centers’ efforts and the participants’ competencies, thanks to a certification system (ECO_Tag) developed throughout the project. Thus, the quality of the contents will be guaranteed, and a certified digital seal for this sector will be created.
- Raising awareness among target audiences of the importance of sustainability and the value of knowing how to pass it on to others.
OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
An interactive guide on the latest international sustainability policies and ways to implement these policies in training centers in the catering and hospitality sectors. Micro-credential MOOC course for teachers/trainers with content on sustainability applied in a multidisciplinary way in a culinary center. Certification system and creation of a digital seal for the project content. Open and accessible digital platform.
ECO_Tag: ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE CULINARY CENTRES
Project period: 01.11.2022-31.01.2025.
Project no.: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-VET-000085592