Rikolto (International)

What do sustainable food systems mean to us, here at Rikolto? Why did we decide to make it our overarching programmatic framework?

Intensive agriculture has spread to the Amazon highlands in Peru. Agroforestry systems in cocoa and coffee can regenerate these areas. Rikolto has been supporting the APROCAM cooperative since 2020 to roll out agroforestry systems, promoting the conservation of forest species such as capirona, oak, cedar and mahogany.

On February 7th and 8th, a group of 30 teachers and civil servants from cities in Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Belgium came together to see how we can further develop healthy, sustainable and accessible food in schools across Europe. This was all part of the European SchoolFood4Change project.

Developing recognition, respect and understanding of the socio-cultural differences of indigenous peoples is a necessary component of fulfilling the right to food for indigenous communities. This approach is known as 'cultural relevance' or ‘fit to culture'.

This is why, since 2023, a group of 15 public and private actors have been coordinating solutions in line with the community agreement and indigenous beliefs, as well as the Guatemalan Municipal Food and Nutrition Security Policy (SAN).

According to 2021 data, Vietnamese children are rapidly becoming overweight and obese due to unbalanced daily diets with too much processed food and too little fruit and vegetables. This global pattern has many consequences, including an increased risk of disease. To change this, Rikolto has embarked on a journey with two secondary schools in Hanoi. The aim is to make healthy and sustainable food the new normal for students. Read more about this approach to bringing good food to Hanoi schools.

FoodScienceClass, an EIT-funded project, provides students with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy food choices. These ready-to-use tools have now been released for teachers to use in English, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Finnish and Hebrew.