from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD peer-reveiwed article by Anne Clausen (Roskilde U), Niels Heine Kristensen (Roskilde U), and Stine Rosenlund Hansen (Roskilde U)
Reframing time constraints in publicly owned kitchens: A Living Lab exploration of extended ordering deadlines to align kitchen procurement with wholesale supply schedules and reduce overstocking and food waste. In Denmark, it is standard practice for public kitchens to order wholesale food at short notice, as per their food procurement contracts. However, this short ordering deadline (up to 16 hours prior to next-morning delivery) has been found to cause wholesalers to maintain buffer stocks to meet demand, often resulting in excess waste.
In a new JAFSCD article, Living Lab exploring routinized kitchen practices to reduce cross-sectoral waste, authors Anne Clausen, Niels Heine Kristensen, and Stine Rosenlund Hansen present initial findings from a Living Lab experiment that aimed to explore the relationship between everyday food ordering practices in municipally operated kitchens in Denmark catering to public institutions, including schools and care homes, and the logistics defined in public procurement agreements to reduce systemic food waste.
The findings provide insights into how alignment of food procurement practices, through multi-actor involvement and cross-sectoral partnerships, can reduce food waste across the supply chain. Corresponding author Anne Clausen can be contacted at annepe@ruc.dk. KEY FINDINGS
A kitchen’s relationship with food suppliers (wholesalers and producers) is deeply embedded in long-standing, routinized operational practices configured of elements of meanings, competences, and materialities, while also being part of a complex, dynamic system.
Temporal rhythms in institutional kitchens extend beyond technical schedules, involving coordination and meaningful negotiation. Current actions, like adjusting ordering times, are shaped by a sense of meaning originating in the past and extending into the future, such as reducing food waste in line with sustainability targets.
By participating in the Living Lab, kitchens began to realize that their ordering practices had ripple effects throughout the supply chain, with the potential to reduce buffer storage at wholesalers and producers and contribute to a broader effort to reduce food waste.
Findings suggest that modified ordering deadlines can be implemented successfully in publicly owned institutions across Denmark to reduce buffer-associated food waste, particularly for perishable items such as fruit, vegetables, and dairy.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
Although this study focused on the temporal rhythms of food ordering and kitchen operations, broader application could enhance produce freshness and shelf life, potentially influencing industry production planning. Future research should explore these potential benefits further. SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
A. Let’s reduce systemic food waste together! Brave public kitchens in @Copenhagen Municipality joined a 3-month Living Lab exploring how changing food ordering practices could help reduce upstream food waste—all while minimizing their own waste! Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.020
B. Facilitated in collaboration with @RoskildeUniversity, @HørkramFoodserviceA/S, and @DanskCaterA/S, and funded by @TheVeluxFoundations, the Living Lab initiative challenged long-standing ordering routines. Despite the difficulties of changing ingrained practices, motivation grew as kitchen staff realized their ordering patterns had ripple effects across the supply chain. This research shows that small shifts in procurement can lead to big impacts on food waste reduction! Let’s rethink ordering systems for a more sustainable food future! #FoodWasteReduction #SustainableProcurement #LivingLab #Copenhagen Read the entire @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.020
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Photo above: Taste the possibility! A plate containing meal items from three restaurants. Photo by Sophie Due and provided by the authors. |
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Throughout the U.S., a concerted effort has been made to encourage healthier dietary behaviors to promote health and well-being. This issue is particularly significant for food pantries, where both rural and urban poor face socioeconomic challenges in accessing fresh, nutritious food.
In a new JAFSCD article, Nutritional education on fruit and vegetable consumption among food pantry clients: A systematic review and a meta-analysis, Wanyakha and Grudens-Schuck examined various nutrition education interventions in food pantries across the country focused on enhancing the consumption of fruits and vegetables among pantry participants. They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of nutrition education interventions on pantry patrons. Reviewing over 2,500 articles and analyzing nine, the article explored the characteristics of each study, participants’ demographics, education interventions, outcomes, and subgroup analyses.
KEY FINDINGS
The meta-analysis revealed a strong positive inverse association between nutritional education and fruit consumption but a negative inverse association with vegetable consumption.
Better uptake of fruit and vegetables was noted among pantry participants who engaged in cooking and received a gift card as a nutrition education intervention.
A multicomponent nutrition education intervention regarding eating habits and self-efficacy showed minimal impact on the consumption of fruits and vegetables among food pantry participants.
Patrons who attend cooking classes at food pantry locations had a higher fruit and vegetable intake, which improved their dietary intake, meeting their recommended servings per day.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
A. A new study by researchers at Iowa State University suggests that while nutritional education can lead to improved consumption of fruits and vegetables, particularly among food pantry participants, greater attention is necessary to ensure that ongoing nutrition education interventions are sustainable, democratically governed, and socially inclusive enough to provide reliable and accessible fresh produce to all food pantry patrons. Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.014
B. A new study by Iowa State University researchers suggests that while nutritional education can lead to improved consumption of fruit and vegetables particularly food pantry participants, more attention is needed to ensure their operational nutrition education interventions are sustainable, democratically governed, and socially inclusive enough to provide reliable, accessible of fresh produce to all food pantry patrons. Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.014
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Photo above: A close-up of apples. Photo provided by the authors. |
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