WHO/Faith Kilford Vorting
“€1.5 million and 15 000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved annually, at a very conservative estimate, thanks to environmentally sound construction works, water-saving sanitary devices, efficient lighting and organic food procurement,” explains Thomas Mosor, Program Director of ÖkoKauf Vienna (EcoBuy Vienna). The organization has been supporting the Vienna (Austria) city administration since 1998 – purchasing its goods and services according to sustainability and eco-efficient criteria.
“The program has helped develop over 100 publicly available ecological indicators, which guide the city’s public procurement procedures, worth €5 billion a year, in terms of everything needed for day-to-day operations and services – from disinfectants and laundry detergents, to office supplies and furniture, construction materials, vehicles, and school and hospital meals.
“EcoBuy Vienna has the city’s administrative departments at its core – but the program percolates through to other initiatives also involving the public and civil society,” Thomas says. “Our work is divided into 3 main sectors – construction, work equipment and food.”
Cheap food is expensive, and we all pay the price
“There are many opportunities for cooperation in the food sector in particular, including with the Vienna Environmental Protection Department and the animal welfare stakeholders. Now, one third of the city’s food preparations for pensioners and hospitals use organically farmed food; in schools and kindergartens this has reached 50%.
“Vienna’s initiatives addressing climate and nutrition are inspired by a One Health approach, which is based on the understanding that human, animal and environmental health are closely interwoven.”
Addressing the argument that greener, ecological products cost more than conventional alternatives, Thomas responds that increased organic food procurement may have generated a quantifiable additional cost, but that the hidden cost might be paid at a later date.
“It’s not always immediately clear how the mantra ‘any price, as long as it’s cheap’ leads to us all eventually setting the bill for what might only seem to be cheap at first. By sourcing food from abroad – from countries where deforestation may be common practice, for example – cities contribute to climate change, which in turn might result in added expenses around urban planning as a response to extreme weather conditions… which all ends up costing the city , further down the line.
“Climate sees no borders. The not-so-hidden cost of the impact on the planet is extensive. Food production, transport and storage cause a quarter to a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. Our choices around food have a direct impact on the climate.”
A planetary health diet, healthy for both people and planet
“The city of Vienna supports a sustainable approach towards food at all levels, where the many initiatives revolving around human, animal and planetary health can intersect. The ‘planetary health diet’, promoted by the city, links diet with human health and the sustainability of the planet.
“This starts with the criteria set out by EcoBuy Vienna, informing the sustainable procurement of food, in close collaboration with the Vienna Environmental Protection Department; and continues with initiatives like the Vienna Food Action Plan, ‘Wien isst GUT’ – ‘Vienna eats well’, where the G stands for ‘gesund und genussvoll’ – ‘healthy and enjoyable’; the U for ‘umwelt- und klimafreundlich’ – ‘environment and climate friendly’; and the T for ‘tierfair’ – ‘animal friendly’.”
The Food Action Plan is being implemented in cooperation with animal welfare organizations and city-run initiatives, and feeds into the efforts of the recently launched, European Union-funded SchoolFood4Change project. The Action Plan includes elements of community engagement and awareness, among other actions:
- an increase in the share of organic food purchased by the city administration;
- the enforcement of environmental and animal welfare criteria in public procurement;
- training and empowering kitchen staff in public-run buildings like hospitals and schools to offer a ‘planetary health diet’, paving the way for a sustainable food system;
- organic and vegetarian cooking workshops in kindergartens and schools for children and adolescents, as well as people living in vulnerable situations.
#HealthierTomorrow
As part of the Healthy Cities Network, Vienna has committed to the Copenhagen Consensus of Mayors, which strengthens the link between humans and planet.
This year’s World Health Day emphasizes how everything is interconnected – the problems, the solutions and us – and it urges us to consider how we can all contribute to a healthier planet; even if that means just thinking about what we put on our plate.