Food Strategy - City of Copenhagen

With this strategy, we plan a new and ambitious direction for how food and meals of high culinary quality can contribute to a healthier and more climate-responsible city for all Copenhageners. The strategy comprises initiatives that help to promote Copenhagen as a food city and contribute to develop the local food system around the city. The strategy sets a clear direction for the 115,000 meals that are being prepared in the City of Copenhagen each day in schools, day-care centres, nursing homes, social care services and residential accommodations. The work to ensure healthier, more tasteful and sustainable meals must be carried out together with citizens, the private food sector, organisations and local associations. The goal is for the strategy to have a widespread spill-over effect on the eating habits of Copenhageners in general. The City of Copenhagen has had a long time objective of 90 percent organic food in the public meals. This has accelerated a focused effort to increase the percentage of plant-based and locally produced food. In the revised strategy the aim is to continue the positive development and initiate targeted actions to further reduce the carbon footprint from food and meals.

Copenhagen and Denmark have become a powerful voice when it comes to innovation and values that will carry our food culture into the future. However, far from all Copenhageners experience Copenhagen distinguishing itself as an international food city. Considering the health status in the city, the more prosperous Copenhageners, on average, enjoy significantly better health than the less prosperous residents. Quite literally speaking: Life expectancy rates are seven years shorter in the district of Nørrebro than in the city centre. Eating habits and diets are contributory factors to this.

A task force across the administrations will be responsible for implementing the Food Strategy. Furthermore, the task force will report every two years to the City Council on roadmaps of targets, initiatives and any new actions in support of the vision and the achievement of targets. Based on new knowledge about what will promote the development of Copenhagen as a green and healthy food city, the resources will be focused and prioritised across the municipality.

Almost 90 percent of public meals served in the City of Copenhagen is organic.

https://maaltider.kk.dk/english