Ghent’s approach to food follows the Ghent en Garde food strategy, a push to provide a shorter, more visible food chain, more sustainable food, more social value for food initiatives, reduced food waste, and optimum reuse of food waste as raw material.
Projects developed with local people and organisations, work together to make these changes: ‘De Goedinge’ provides agricultural land for free for local and sustainable food production, and ’Vanier’ shortens the food supply chain by bringing professional food purchasers from restaurants into contact with local producers.
The city supports schools and neighbourhoods that want to start vegetable gardens (42 schools and 25 neighbourhoods so far) and runs an online vegetable garden helpdesk for gardens big and small. The technological and the organic meet in a tool that has combined fruit trees and digital mapping to guide people to 40 pick-your-own fruit spots. With the campaign ‘Thursday veggie day’ all Ghentians are encouraged to go vegetarian on Thursdays, and schools and public services get veggie meals only. And these are just a few of the measures in place.
