On Tuesday, February 6th, participants of the second cycle of the Citizens’ Assembly for Climate officially presented their feedback to the Brussels Government. Prompt reactions from Brussels Government members followed the citizen report on food, emphasizing three key areas for action: reducing meat consumption, addressing food waste, and promoting sustainable, locally-sourced food.
Citizens presented their main recommendations to Alain Maron, Minister responsible for Climate Transition, Environment, Energy, Public Cleanliness, and Participatory Democracy, and Barbara Trachte, Secretary of State for Economic Transition and Scientific Research.
In response to the question, “How can all Brussels residents transition to a more sustainable and high-quality diet by 2050?” citizens identified three priority actions: reducing meat consumption, fighting food waste, and supporting sustainable, locally-sourced food. In total, the report comprises 56 recommendations. While primarily aimed at regional policymakers, it also involves private sector food actors, as citizens recognize the need for collective action across the entire food chain to bring about significant change. Therefore, citizens’ inputs are structured into “chapters,” each directed at a specific level of authority or stakeholder. Here are some highlights:
Since 2016, the Brussels Region has implemented the Good Food strategy, with goals including promoting ethical businesses and providing sustainable options to stimulate demand. To further these efforts, citizens proposed establishing an eco-score to be discussed with other regions and stakeholders in the retail sector.
Supporting sustainable initiatives
Given challenges such as inflation, the perceived high cost of organic products, and struggling farmers, finding a balance between fair pricing and affordability is complex. Despite this challenge, the overarching theme of the citizen feedback is to promote healthier eating habits and make them more accessible. Suggestions include reducing VAT on sustainable products and using proceeds from taxes on unhealthy products to subsidize sustainable initiatives.
Transforming the public food sector
The offerings in collective catering fall short of sustainability goals, despite a significant portion of the population consuming almost half of their meals outside their homes. Action is needed to improve offerings in collective catering venues such as school and public administration cafeterias. The Region and its public services must lead by example, promoting responsible practices and driving change. Recommendations include imposing a 50% reduction in animal protein in collective catering venues and introducing vegetarian options in collective and public cafeterias. To address food waste, the Region is urged to advocate at the federal and European levels for the removal of expiration dates on non-perishable products.
Given that 80% of Brussels residents shop in supermarkets, involving the large-scale retail sector is crucial. Although the sector has made no commitments, suggestions include rearranging supermarket shelves to highlight local production, sustainable products, and meat alternatives, as well as reducing the space dedicated to meat and junk food. The large-scale retail sector is also encouraged to process products nearing their expiration date and group items nearing expiration or with slight imperfections, offering discounts.
Collective effort with the catering sector and businesses
The Assembly has formulated modest proposals for the catering sector and businesses, recognizing that collective effort is essential for realizing ambitions. Suggestions include integrating anti-waste and sustainable food practices into corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Alain Maron acknowledged the importance of holding public authorities accountable and noted that the feedback would inform policymaking and the revision of the Good Food strategy in 2025.
The concerned administrations and the Government have until April 22nd to develop initial responses to citizens’ recommendations. Minister Alain Maron emphasized the cultural shift reflected in the report, particularly regarding attitudes towards meat consumption. What about you, are you ready for change?
To find out about the recommendations, read the full report with citizens’ inputs. Explore more on the dedicated Assembly’s website and on Missions Publiques’ website.
