FEAST: healthy and sustainable food for vulnerable communities

Additional outreach towards potential and key stakeholders is being realized, enriched by one-on-one interviews with the partners.

The first stakeholder meeting takes place on 13 September. SAAMO, KU LEUVEN, Huis van het Kind, Ruimtevaart, School 2030, Rikolto, CAW Oost-Brabant, De Wissel vzw, Enchanté vzw and Zorg Leuven all get around the table. These organisations harbor oceans of expertise on nutrition and people in vulnerable positions. We inspire each other with good examples and map the needs of Leuven's food system, as well as possible digital solutions that could help meet those needs.

Living Lab Leuven is expanding. We are contacting multiple we arecontacting local organisations that work with vulnerable groups and food. In September, our first stakeholder meeting is set to take place. Would your organisation like to participate in this project?Don’thesitate to contact us.

The first FEAST-Hackathon ‘Hack for Food, Hack for Good’ takes place in Milan. Its focus is on the development of tech solutions aimed at tackling foodinsecurity and food waste in Milan. During a short, online inspirational session, we share the initial learnings from our Tech Living Labs.

KU Leuven’s research into nutrition and digital media takes off. About 300 students participate, among them students from the Heilig Hart Institute in Leuven.

FEAST returns to Leuven 2030 Urban Lab. Now that the project is out of the concept phase, participants of the 3rd edition of Urban Lab - aiming to focus academic research on the climate challenge - are once again challenged to exchange ideas around sustainable and healthy food for vulnerable target groups. The 2 table discussions around 'nutrition in schools' and 'healthy eating patterns for vulnerable target groups' attracted a total of more than 40 (!) interested participants.

The collaboration with UCLL (University Colleges Leuven-Limburg) takes off. UCLL and FEAST found each other during the Leuven 2030 Urban Lab, a networking event focusing academic research on climate transition.

The UCLL computer science students develop a new, more interactive version of one of the digital tools FEAST will use: the Eco Food Map. Thisonline database maps out the food system in and around Leuven and presents the initiatives, actors, experts and indicators in our food system. The publication of this version 2.0 is planned for the coming months.

The international branches of FEAST come together, share their first experiences and inspire each other. The group exchanges knowledge, including via the FEAST YouTube channel. Leuven also provides a brief overview of what is yet to come:

Leuven, Ghent, Prilep (Macedonia) and Oxfordshire (UK) kick off cooperation on digital tools and communication with vulnerable target groups. In the coming years, they will each introduce and test their own Eco Food Maps and Community Action Platforms. Co-creation and ease of use are central. This will include looking at the guiding principles within growth hacking.

All four cities are cooperating in an academic study on communication with vulnerable target groups. Leuven 2030 takes a leading role in this partnership, in close collaboration with KU Leuven and University Clinic Heidelberg.

Let's welcome everyone to the FEAST: the project's English-language website goes live. In a series of workshops, the initiators of FEAST in our city, Leuven 2030, KU Leuven and SAAMO, further define the concept and develop an action plan.

FEAST makes its Leuven debut. Together with the 'Voeding Verbindt' network, we aim to find out how to make the shift towards healthy and sustainable food in Leuven. We start by gathering feedback on the digital tools FEAST will use.

The Food Advisory Council (VLAR) is presented FEAST by means of an eye-catching infographic.

The FEAST project was officially launched with a kickoff event in Heidelberg. For this, the 35 partners from 15 countries came together.