SUSTAIN_US: exchange of best practices for sensitizing on food and sustainability Erasmus Project

Project Title

SUSTAIN_US: exchange of best practices for sensitizing on food and sustainability

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Social dialogue; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Food is essential for life. It is an important part of European cultural identity and plays a relevat role in the economy. People are aware that the food they eat is a crucial factor affecting their health, but what is less known is the impact of food production and consumption on the world’s resources. In addition to the cars we drive and the energy we use to heat our homes, the food we produce and consume has a significant impact on the environment through, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, water and soil use, pollution, phosphorus depletion and the impact of chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides. The global population is expected to increase to almost 8 billion by 2030 and more than 9 billion by 2050, with an increasingly demand for a varied and high-quality diet requiring more energy and additional resources for production. However, many of today’s food production systems compromise the earth’s ability to produce food in the future. Globally and in many regions, including Europe, food production is exceeding or close to exceeding environmental limits. Nitrogen synthesis exceeds the planetary limit and the use of phosphorus has reached the planetary limit. The change in the use of lands and soil degradation and the dependence on fossil energy contribute to about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture, including fisheries, is the main causefor biodiversity loss.
Given the importance of the project theme at a social level and the importance of the active involvement of the new generations, the 4 partner Institutes, coordinated by I.I.S. “Munari”, have decided to set up the partnership in order to act together towards achieving the objectives in line with the 2030 Agenda. In this perspective, the project “SUSTAIN_US: exchange of best practices for sensitizing on food and sustainability” is aimed at involving students from different European areas characterized by common socio-environmental problems, in order to raise awareness and encourage the European community to consume sustainable food, taking into account production methods avoiding food waste and embracing healthy and natural food consumption.
4 transnational mobilities will be organized for exchange purposes. 16 students per Institute (64 in total) from classes III and IV (16-18 years old) will take part.Each mobility will last 7 days and thematic paths related to the theme of food will be organized.
The project activities will result in 2 outputs:
-a virtual textbook on food and sustainability that will contain researches, graphics, advices, reflections, images and audio/video elements produced by the students participating in the mobilities;
-an ethical recipe book that will include omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan recipes from the 4 participating European countries: Croatia, Greece, Italy and Spain.
The specific objectives of the project are:
– to improve students’ communication skills in English and in the language of the other participating countries, as well as in their mother tongue;
– to encourage to learn foreign languages in a European dimension;
– to encourage students to adopt a more conscious attitude towards food and its sustainability;
– to favour a healthier and more environmentally friendly eating style;
– to develop communication and collaboration skills among multicultural groups;
– to know and value gastronomic traditions;
-to promote the importance of the use of renewable energy sources;
-to raise the European community’s awareness of the use of food that respects the environment, promotes global sustainability in food supply and promotes consumption against waste.
The project activities will have an impact both on indirect beneficiaries and on partner Institutions, specifically:
-at least 70% of the students will receive a positive evaluation from the accompanying teachers called to assess the students’ behaviour and progress;
-improvement of the school evaluation in foreign languages and subjects related to mobility issues for at least 75% of the participants;
-at least 80% of the students will express a positive evaluation of the project activities;
-at least 80% of teachers will give a positive assessment of the overall organisation of the project activities;
– activation of at least 1 other project action between 2 participating Institutes;
-number of project outputdownloads from “SUSTAIN_US”website.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 88626 Eur

Project Coordinator

Istituto Istruzione Superiore Bruno Munari & Country: IT

Project Partners

• 1o Geniko Lykeio Kaisarianis
• INSTITUTO DE EDUCACION SECUNDARIA Jacarandá
• Srednja skola fra Andrije Kacica Miosica