Talk given at the UNEP-workshop "Leveraging Sustainable Procurement Practices to Transform Tourism Value Chains", Paris, 30th October 2018

1. Prof. Dagmar Lund-Durlacher
Department of Tourism and Service Management
MODUL University Vienna
Sustainable Food Procurement
in the Hospitality Industry

2. Agenda
1. Sustainable Food on Holiday – Sustainability Dimensions
2. Sustainable Food Procurement Policy
3. Consumer Demand for Sustainable Food
4. Main Fields of Action in Sustainable Food Procurement

3. Sustainable Food on Holiday -
Sustainability Dimensions
3
Economy
Resource efficiency, local
value added
Ecological
Ecosystem protection,
biodiversity, animal welfare,
environmental friendly
production methods
Societal
Inclusion of small scale
producers and suppliers, fair
working conditions along the
supply chain (fair trade)
Cultural
Protection of local food
cultures, authentic,
traditional food
sourcing, support of
traditional producers
Health
Fresh, healthy and safe foods
of high quality, contribution
to well-being and pleasure of
the guests

4. Sustainable Food Procurement Policy
• Local value added, job creation, lower
transport emissions, less packaging,
protection of local food cultures, healthier
Local Food
• Less food miles and CO2 emissions, fully
mature (vitamins and flavor), enhances the
understanding of local food culture
Seasonal Food
• Low use of external energy, use of natural
plant protectants, healthier, fair wages and
working conditions
Organic and Fair
Food
4
• Food with less GHG emissions, greater water
productivity, freshly prepared food, less
ingredients per dish
Type of Food

5. The Climate Impact of Different Means of
Transportation
5
9
34
40
135
2,041
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500
Open sea vessel
Inland water vessel
Train
Truck
Plane
Source: Ministerium für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft, Ernährung, Weinbau und Forsten Rheinland-Pfalz (2014)
CO2 emissions per transported ton of food and kilometer
Local Food

6. The Climate Impact of Different Means of
Production
6
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
Tomatoes Peppers Cucumbers Lettuce Leeks
Outdoor cultivation Heated greenhouse cultivation
CO2 emissions (in kg per kg of produce)
Source: Jungblut, N. (2000)
Seasonal
Food

7. GHG Emissions and Water Productivity
7
23.0
19.0
3.7 3.4
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
0.1
1.2 1.6
5.0
7.0
20.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
GHG emissions (in kg per kg)
Beef Lamb Chicken Pork Tomato
Potato
Apple
Rice
Wheat
Beef
Water Productivity (kg per m3)
Source: own illustration according to Gössling et al. (2011) Source: own illustration according to Molden et al. (2010)
Type of Food

8. Consumer Demand for Sustainable Food
8
Tourist care a lot about local and fresh products
71.9
61.5
39.3
83.9
25.3
33.7
51.6
14.5
2.8
4.8
9.1
1.6
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Food and drink are a good way to become
acquainted with other cultures.
On vacation, I prefer local meals to familiar
ones in know from home.
On vacation, regionally-produced food is
important to me.
On vacation, freshly-prepared food without
any finished products is important to me.
Strong agreement (6+7) Middle agreement (3,4,5) Weak agreement (1+2)
Source: Lund-Durlacher et al (2016)

9. Sustainable Food Procurement -
What can be done?
Measure 1: Implement a three-category purchasing policy
9
Buy as few/little as possible
vegetables grown in heated greenhouses, foods involving air transport, foods
extensively packaged, sea food such as prawns or lobster, imported beef,
aluminium foil
Buy less
beef, deep-sea fish (e. g. cod) or farmed carnivorous fish (e. g. salmon), rice,
seasonal foods out of season
Buy more
locally produced foods, potatoes, grains (including pasta), pork and chicken,
foodstuffs with longer shelf-lives

10. Sustainable Food Procurement -
What can be done?
Measure 2: Build local networks
10
Search for
existing local
food
coopera-
tives
Take a study
trip to best-
practice
hotels
Organize
local food
festivals or
food fairs
Set up local
food
cooperatives
Find out about
local producers
and their
products
Substitute
imported goods
with local
alternatives
Harvest from
your own hotel
farm and
market it to
your guests

11. 11
Sustainable Food Procurement -
What can be done?
Employee
working
conditions
Fair trade
practices
along the
supply chain
Prohibition
of use of
endangered
species (red
list)
Preference for
environment-
tally friendly
products
Preference for
fresh/seasonal/
organic/local
produce
Reduction of
packaging
Measure 3: Work with your suppliers towards sustainability

12. 12
Sustainable Food Procurement -
What can be done?
Design your
menu less
energy and
water
intense
Introduce
efficient recipe
management
Create
dishes with
less
ingredients
Initiate
seasonal
campaigns
Decrease
storage length
Measure 4: Work with your F&B Department and Chef towards
sustainability

13. Example: Recipe Management
• Less ingredients in most cases lowers the purchase price and generates a
higher margin and less waste.
13
Source: Wrap (2016)

14. Good Practice - Cyprus Breakfast
Source: travelfoundation.wordpress.com
Measures to be taken:
• Communication of the concept
“Cyprus Breakfast
• Presentation of traditional Cypriot
products and recipes
• Offering of a minimum amount of
Cypriot dishes
• “Cyprus day's special”
• Promotion of local gastronomic
events
• Promotion of micro producers
through their designation at the
buffet
• Support of producers through joint
projects (cooking classes, specialty
corner in the hotel)

15. Sustainable Food Manual
Manual released in March 2016, several country specific versions)
• facts & project results
• practical advice, checklists & best practice examples
• manual and final report (German) available at: www.futouris.org/projekte/sustainable-food/
Topic areas
I. Sustainable Sourcing:
local, seasonal, organic and Fair Trade
II. Sustainable menu planning, preparation &
presentation/communication
ressource use, material usage, guest information
III. Waste management
Monitoring, portion sizes, packaging
IV. Implementation of sustainable F&B strategies
Awareness raising, staff training
& guest communication

16. Bibliography
• Gössling, S. (2011). Food management in Tourism. Reducing tourism’s carbon
‘foodprint’. In: Tourism Management, Vol 32, Issue 3, p. 534-543
• Jungbluth, N. (2000). Umweltfolgen des Nahrungsmittelkonsums –
Beurteilung von Produktmerkmalen auf Grundlage einer modularen
Ökobilanz, Berlin.
• Lund-Durlacher, D., Fritz, K., Antonschmidt, H. (2016). “Nachhaltige Ernährung
im Urlaub”. Endbericht zum Futouris-Branchenprojekt, Berlin: Futouris e.V.
https://www.modul.ac.at/uploads/files/user_upload/Sustainable_food_repor
t.pdf
• Ministerium für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft, Ernährung, Weinbau und Forsten
Rheinland-Pfalz (2014). Nachhaltige Ernährung - Was unser Essen mit
Klimaschutz und Welternährung zu tun hat, Mainz.
• WRAP (2016). http://www.wrap.org.uk/
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17. Further Resources
• Sustainable Food Manual: https://www.futouris.org/download/sustainable-food-
manual/?wpdmdl=2265
• Sustainable Food Communication Manual:
http://www.futouris.org/download/sustainable-food-communication-
manual/?wpdmdl=4592
• Cyprus Breakfast Project: http://csti-cyprus.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Cyprus-
Breakfast_-Report.pdf
• European Commission Green Public Procurement Training Toolkit:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/pdf/toolkit/food_GPP_product_sheet.pdf
• The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP): http://www.wrap.org.uk/
• United Nations Environment Programme Guidelines for Responsible Food Purchasing:
http://apps.unep.org/publications/index.php?option=com_pub&task=download&file=-
Responsible_food_purchasing__Four_steps_towards_sustainability_for_the_hospitalit
y_sector.pdf
• Yale Sustainable Food Purchasing Guide:
http://www.sare.org/content/download/72014/1025843/Sustainable_Food_Purchasing
_Guide.pdf?inlinedownload=1'>Download_File
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