How can more organic produce from Brandenburg find its way onto the plates in canteens and cafeterias? This key question guided the market information event "Organic Value Chains for Community Catering," held on 19 November 2024 at Seddiner See, Germany. The event was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Climate Protection of the State of Brandenburg (MLUK, now MLEUV) and organized by the Ecologic Institute as part of Brandenburg's Organic Action Plan. 

The event brought together more than 30 stakeholders along the organic value chain – with the aim of fostering dialogue, promoting new collaborations, and developing practical solutions for strengthening the organic-regional supply in institutional catering.

A Day of Exchange, Impulses, and New Ideas

Morning Session: The first half of the day focused on real-world practice:
Producers like SpeiseGut, processing and trading companies such as GEKO and Terra Naturkost, and caterers and canteen operators like GREENs unlimited and Studierendenwerk Ost: Brandenburg shared their experiences, challenges, and success factors.

Afternoon Session: The second part of the day featured two interactive workshops:

• Collaboration between agriculture, canteens, and gastronomy, with insights from Biohof Werder
• Opportunities through the "bio Brandenburg" quality label, presented by Jens Luther (MLUK, now MLEUV)

Working Together for More Organic Food in Brandenburg's Kitchens – Key Takeaways

Organic and regional sourcing in community catering requires more than just good ideas. It calls for stable partnerships, reliable logistics, and secure procurement channels. Through open dialogue, new connections were established, and concrete solutions were discussed.

1. Institutional catering as a driver of regional organic value chains
   Institutional catering has significant potential to strengthen regional organic agriculture due to its regular and predictable demand. To fully realize this potential, better cross-sectoral coordination is needed – especially between MLUK (Organic Action Plan) and MSGIV (Nutrition Strategy). Stronger political support is also required, for example through canteen advisory programs like Kantine Zukunft or binding procurement requirements for public institutions.
2. Practitioner knowledge creates solutions
   Collaboration across the entire value chain – from agriculture to processing, trade, and kitchens – enables the development of viable solutions. The processing stage remains a crucial yet currently underdeveloped link in the chain.

3. Three key challenges on the way into institutional kitchens
   To increase the use of regional organic products in community catering, the following obstacles must be addressed:
   Lack of pre-processing infrastructure (e.g., peeling, cutting)
   Revival of traditional kitchen techniques
   Efficient logistical bundling of small volumes

   Targeted investments, pilot projects, networking platforms, and regular round tables are needed to establish structures and connect relevant actors.

Further information is provided in the full event documentation.