Organic still only represents a small portion of the menus served in collective catering. The sector would indeed be very far from reaching the desired quota of 20%. “Papillote et Compagnie”, the central kitchen which prepares daily meals for 14,000 children in the Angers metropolitan area, already far exceeds this objective.
Soup, sautéed pork, macaroni and fromage blanc, an entirely organic menu is served that day to Angevin schoolchildren, but also to the staff who prepare these meals.
In a few years, the central kitchen of the Angers metropolitan area decided to change its recipes. Today, she sources more local and responsible products.
“We are on organic shells, here we have the family of legumes and starchy vegetables. These are organic green lentils, organic chickpea seeds, quinoa”, tells Antoine Routhiau, head chef of the central kitchen of Angers, “Papilotte et company”.
“In 2020, we made the choice to take control of our purchases. We were around 15% organic, and in the space of three years, we doubled this figure to reach 30%.” continues the cook.
Quinoa grown in Mayenne served in school kitchens in the Angers metropolitan area • © France 3 Pays de la Loire
While, since 2022, the Egalim law requires 20% organic products, collective catering has difficulty reaching 7% in France. Hence this visit to a good student in the sector, carried out by the National Agency responsible for promoting organic agriculture.
In a context of crisis in the sector, it is launching a communication campaign co-financed by Europe to try to convince.
“The price gap which is closing down explains less and less the disenchantment with organic, what is really lacking at the moment among organic consumers is citizen information, explains Laure Verdeau, director of the Agence Bio. We know that if we inform a citizen about what organic is, they mechanically become a consumer.”
With equal purchasing power, it is education and information that is the key
Louise Verdeau
Director of the Organic Agency
To offer organic products at competitive prices, with meals below 4 euros, the Angers metropolitan area has invested in an entirely modern kitchen, a zero-waste and less energy-consuming kitchen.
The central kitchen of the Angers conurbation sources local and responsible products • © France 3 Pays de la Loire
“The price increase was only 3.5% despite a 16% increase in products purchased last year, notes Benoît Pilet, elected representative of the agglomeration and president of Angers Loire Restauration, however, 60% of families have seen their canteen prices drop because we know that for some children, it’s their only meal of the day.”
Inflation, however, is forcing the community to take a break from its environmental approach, even if it still harbors the hope of passing the 50% organic threshold on children’s plates by 2030.
duration of video: 00h01mn59s
Organic still only represents a small portion of the menus served in collective catering. The sector would indeed be very far from reaching the desired quota of 20%. “Papillote et Compagnie”, the central kitchen which prepares daily meals for 14,000 children in the Angers metropolitan area, already far exceeds this objective. • ©France Télévisions
The report by Eric Aubron, Laurence Couvrand and MC Georgelin
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2023-11-16 05:09:10
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