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Sustainable Food 
Plan 
Rennes
A MUNICIPAL SYSTEM OF AGRO-ECOLOGICAL, FAIR 
AND LOCAL COLLECTIVE CATERING
Summary
With the aim of promoting a certified). However, a national law different municipal departments, 
balanced diet, consistent with passed in 2018 establishes that, agricultural producers, 
the principles of sustainable as of January 2022, 50% of the distributors, social institutions 
development and based on a food products used in collective and citizens. The aim of the 
strong link between producers catering must be sustainably Plan is to foster the necessary 
and consumers, the City of produced. actions to ensure that, by the 
Rennes is committed to a end of 2020, the municipal 
municipal catering model that Within this context, several catering system guarantees: 
is underpinned by local agro- difficulties have been identified 20% of products procured from 
ecological production, the with regard to the achievement sustainable agriculture, 20% of 
prevention of food waste and the of the required sustainability products with a BIO certification, 
reduction of greenhouse gases.  indicators, such as: the legitimate and a 50% reduction in food 
cost overrun of sustainable and waste. 
Since 1999, Rennes’ municipal organic food production, the Rennes 
kitchen has centralised the imbalance between the needs was one of 
preparation of meals served of the municipality and those City:  ities 
by various municipal services. of producers, and the detection Rennes
the founding c
Country: of the IAEC
 and has 
Around 12,500 meals are of practices that generate food been a key player in 
prepared every day, 10,000 of waste. France the Educating Cities 
which are allocated to its 48 Inhabitants: movement since 
municipal schools. Thanks to In order to address this 221.272 1990
a firm commitment to foster situation, since 2016 the local 
short supply chains, the city government has promoted the Topics: 
has managed to ensure that formulation of a Sustainable Environment, Policy and 
around 80% of suppliers are local Food Plan, developed through a administration, Socioeconomic 
producers (15% of which are BIO participatory approach among development, Welfare
Context 
The French city of Rennes 
is the capital of Brittany, 
France’s most agricultural 
region. It has a population 
of 221,272 and its 
metropolitan area reaches 
450,000 inhabitants. The 
three main economic 
sectors are: the automotive 
industry, the food industry 
and digital technologies. 
For 30 years, Rennes 
Goals  has seen education as a driver for development, 
a way of responding to 
X Support, within municipal competences, the transition towards an the challenges of local 
agro-ecological model of food production based on environmental, democracy and fighting 
economic and social sustainability, that is linked to the territory. all forms of inequality. 
Sustainability and care 
X Develop a food supply policy for the municipal catering system to for the environment are 
accompany the transition to the new model. viewed as another key area 
of priority development for 
X Raise awareness and involve citizens in favour of a sustainable, the municipal institutions. 
agro-ecological and local food model. 
X Implement measures that facilitate access to sustainable food for 
all citizens.  
Methodology
The Sustainable Food Plan was 
initiated in 2016 with analyses of 
the situation and the functioning 
of the municipal collective 
catering system, focusing on the 
school environment. Drawing on 
co-construction workshops and 
meetings with the different actors 
involved (in the production, 
supply, preparation and 
consumption of food), four areas 
of intervention were articulated: 
1. Local purchasing policy 
to prioritise sustainably 
produced food. Includes 
the identification of actions 
to be implemented, such as: 
the creation of a municipal 
purchasing centre for fresh fruit 
and vegetables, support for 
strategies to optimise processing 
and logistics processes (especially 
for dairy, meat and tinned system to re-distribute any services are involved during 
products), formalisation of the surplus to groups facing mealtimes (through the exchange 
commitment to use food products situations of social vulnerability. of good practices and specialised 
that are free from GMOs and support and guidance), and to 
palm oil, etc. In addition, the city Children are empowered to ensure that more families are 
of Rennes is participating in the serve themselves directly, being aware of and have access to the 
creation of the territorial brand provided with a choice of large school catering service (especially 
“Terres de Sources” with the or small dishes (depending on those in situations of social 
local authority responsible for the their level of hunger), and to vulnerability). 
management of drinking water, go back for second helpings if 
with the aim of introducing local necessary. Playful campaigns 4. Sustainable Food Council. 
and sustainable products into are also carried out to raise A space to develop a global and 
school catering. awareness and educate pupils strategic vision for sustainable 
about the prevention of food food in the city. It includes the 
2. Preparation and waste through games, adapted participation of the municipal 
distribution of meals. Focuses educational materials, cooking technical teams involved 
on: studying the nutritional competitions, etc. Additionally, (education and purchasing) and 
quality of the menus and the implementation of and care volunteers (food professionals, 
improving their sustainability (for for kitchen gardens within schools producers, agri-food companies, 
example: providing vegetarian is encouraged. distributors, professional 
alternatives and proposing a day chambers, trade unions, local 
of the week when neither meat 3. Awareness raising and and regional authorities, 
nor fish is consumed, adapting advocacy. Surveys to gauge children, families and citizens in 
the quantities of the portions, satisfaction and studies on the general), who meet quarterly to 
etc.); setting up specialised nutritional status of children and reflect, share knowledge on and 
training programmes for the other users of the system are collectively co-construct solutions 
actors involved in collective conducted. It is also ensured that to the different issues and/or 
catering and optimising the pedagogical teams and support problems observed.
Evaluation
Since its inception, the project has made the municipality and 
positive progress in achieving the objectives set. the public institution 
During the year 2019, the results obtained were responsible for water 
materialised in: management have created 
their own label (Terres de 
X A 55% reduction in food waste (8.56 kg/year Sources) through which 
per child). associated producers 
certify their production 
X 36% of food products obtained through as environmentally 
sustainable production. friendly, efficient in the 
use of water and free of 
X 23% of food products with BIO certification. certain pesticides. This 
certification has made it 
X 85% satisfaction among children benefiting from possible to set up a local 
the school catering system. food supply chain that 
meets the values of social 
X An 11% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions justice (fair remuneration 
in the production and distribution of menus. for producers, greater 
accessibility to sustainable 
X Around 50 education actors have participated food products), the 
in training sessions to encourage education in valorisation and 
sustainable eating habits with children during preservation of natural 
school meals. resources (particularly 
drinking water) and 
X Publication of educational awareness-raising territorial cohesion. 
games based on the ‘nudge’ methodology, 
which encourage the acquisition of sustainable 
eating habits in a playful way (the monster of 
food waste, small/large hunger, etc.) and the Additionally, links  have also been set up with 
publication of a magazine compiling articles various associations that work with people facing 
produced by schools. situations of vulnerability so that surplus food 
from school canteens, as well as products that 
With regard to purchasing policy, it is important would be thrown away by supermarkets, can 
to highlight the implementation of a mechanism be taken advantage of. A “free shop” equipped 
to protect and promote sustainable local food with a refrigeration system has also been set up, 
production, which is used by 13 municipalities enabling university students to take away surplus 
in the region. Given that, in public procurement, food produced. 
the criterion of proximity cannot legally be 
considered as a criterion of positive discrimination, 
Future proposals
In terms of the future, the 2020-2026 Plan Contact
foresees work with other municipal services that 
also offer collective catering services (preschools, Organisation:  Rennes City Council 
households of dependent persons, retirement (Resources and Purchasing Department)
homes, restaurants for civil servants, etc.), to 
reduce food waste and increase the percentage Contact Person:  Ms. Typhaine Herré
of sustainable products on their menus. The E-mail: pad@ville-rennes.fr 
commitment to urban agriculture and awareness-
raising will also continue, in a bid to promote 
citizen engagement towards sustainable and 
local food, and strengthen universal access to View the 
sustainable food production. experience in the 
Bank
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