Mass catering

Specific goals for 2020 :

• A 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by food expected gain of 15,750 teqCO2 between 2004 and 2020
• 40% seasonal and local products in meals served by the City
• 50% organic or labelled food in foodstuffs destined for crèches
• A 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from municipal catering by limiting the frequency of meat and dairy products

In 2009, following the first Paris Climate Plan, the City devised a plan of action designed to increase its use of organic food, seasonal and local products in municipal canteens.

More than 29 million meals are served each year in crèches and schools by local authority employees and in catering establishments financed by the City of Paris Centre for Social Action. Although the consumption of organic products does not have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard food, using sustainable fruit and vegetables results in a 30% reduction in emissions linked to consumption. These are the goals of this Sustainable Food plan, in accordance with the Paris Climate Plan. Its implementation could thus generate savings of 13,500 teqCO2 by 2020.

In 2012, 22% of food served in the municipal catering sector (including all restaurants) was characterised as sustainable food: labelled (from organic farming, Label Rouge, from the sea with the Marine Stewardship Council label), locally produced or seasonal. This figure rose to more than 37% in municipal crèches and by 2020, the new goal is 50% organic or labelled food in crèches.

Because meat and dairy products are indirectly responsible for very high greenhouse gas emissions, consideration is being given to the idea of reducing consumption with due regard for the nutritional quality of meals.

Organic food constitutes the majority of the sustainable food served in municipal restaurants and in 2012 it represented 20% of the food volume for all arrondissements. This share exceeds 20% in nearly half of Paris arrondissements. At the same time, the associated carbon emissions have dropped by 11% since 2009.

What is at issue is the larger and longer-term question of envisaging the sustainability of food production and consumption in the catering facilities of the Paris administration, not only in terms of greenhouse gas emissions but also in terms of production, with regard to future climate developments and supplies in the case of major climate events. This goal is all the more ambitious given that the action of the City is rendered more complex by the weakness of the organic offering in the Île de France region. Supply is considerably lower than the demand, revealing the necessity for national and regional measures to structure the organic farming sector.