Food Saving: Promoting the Right to a Sustainable Diet
Introduction
La Serre was a citizen-led initiative in Brussels which fostered a vibrant and inclusive community in the neighbourhood of Ixelles. Various groups used the facilities of the building which the municipality provided for temporary use on the basis of a contract with the non-profit organisation La Communa. The groups facilitated diverse activities around shared values such as sustainable food production, circularity and social cohesion. Those included repair cafés, counselling for vulnerable groups, a pick-up station for community-supported agriculture projects, and a food saving initiative.
Food waste in a growth-based economy
One of the regular users of the hybrid space was La Fourchette Solidaire. The initiative is rooted in the desire to address the damages caused by systemic dynamics of the economy. The orientation of the economic system towards growth incentivises overproduction and leads to a neglect of the basic needs of people. Accordingly, within the context of the food system this causes massive amounts of food waste along the supply chain.
This also holds true for the retail sector, as much of the unsold food by supermarkets goes to the bin. These conditions are inherently contradictory for a society, which claims to support sustainable and inclusive development. In light of millions of people facing hunger worldwide it is a moral disaster to waste food. Further, to squander all these resources is deeply irresponsible in the face of the ongoing ecological crisis.
Community-led food saving and redistribution
La Fourchette Solidaire addressed these systemic failures from the bottom-up through voluntary engagement by local citizens. The volunteers used to save food by collecting unsold vegetables and bread from local organic super markets, Färm and Barn. The latter sells most of its products in bulk and thus encourages waste reduction. The citizens then used the still edible food as ingredients and prepared meals during weekly cooking events in La Serre’s community kitchen.
The local population was invited to enjoy these meals several times per week: On a donation basis at the social restaurant or for free at the food pantry managed by the Social Centre of Ixelles. The initiative attracted a diverse group of people, including homeless individuals, immigrants, elderly, workers, and students. Hereby, it fostered a sense of belonging and strengthened social bonds by providing an inclusive environment.
Why La Serre closed
La Fourchette Solidaire’s work was invaluable, as it modelled a social innovation on how to deal with food waste in a responsible manner. It thereby showcased pathways towards a more sustainable and equitable food system. However, political barriers often prevent such initiatives from reaching their full potential of delivering social and ecological benefits.
One specific challenge is the lack of long-term access to secure spaces. In the case of La Serre this has led to its closing in June 2024. The municipality sold the building to Community Land Trust of Bruxelles. They will renovate the building to eventually provide social housing. Potentially, the planned open space for residents could become a new space for the neighbourhood. However, what’s going to happen in the meanwhile is yet to be determined. Consequently, the question of if and how the community dynamics and activities that took place in La Serre can be continued is still uncertain.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
To conclude, the disruption of La Serre clearly demonstrates the need for supportive policy frameworks to ensure the longevity and replication of community-led initiative (CLI). In this regard, ECOLISE and its partners have positioned themselves towards the European Green Deal with a joint advocacy campaign. The Time for Collective Action Manifesto outlines an analysis of and the potential and political requirements needed to widely support community-led action. To support this campaign and thereby help strengthen the movement of CLIs, read and sign the manifesto here.
For more information on La Serre, and on its future prospects, visit its website on lacommuna.be and read the activity report from 2023.
