The project Making Eat Together aims to identify principles beyond nutrition and health-related aspects to inform procurement criteria to purchase food/meals for school canteens. The project envisaged two phases of engagement with different actors:

★ stakeholders, i.e. caterers, cooks, school directors, civil servants and institutions in charge of food procurement for schools, e.g. municipalities;

★ pupils, families, teachers and those responsible for school meals at school.

Through qualitiative methodologies, we have explored different dimensions that make and shape the every-day practice of eating at school across three European countries (Germany, Italy and Portugal), involving overall seven schools (primary or secondary). Moreover, the research process has sought to produce new knowledge with the participants engaged, firstly by tapping into their knowledge, experiences, concerns, and values.

Outputs of this project include a JRC Science for Policy report (forthcoming) and a toolkit called "Engaging with Food, People and Places. A toolkit". This toolkit, that will be made available in English, Italian, German and Portuguese, takes the form of an illustrated book that provides rationales, tools and tips to foster dialogues in schools about food but it is easily adaptable to other subjects and situations. 

You can download the English version of the toolkit here. 

The project started in 2017. In early 2020, we completed the empirical work. We are currently in the process of finalizing the final report.