Ready, set, go — here we go: FoodWise joins schools!

After an initial phase of action planning, kick-off meetings with families and teachers were held throughout January. During these sessions, UNIFI presented the activities that will take place in schools with the children directly involved in the project, as well as the household-level data we will be collecting.

We’re genuinely pleased with the strong turnout: participation was high, confirming our local community’s engagement and commitment to reducing food waste. We reached 4 schools across the municipalities of Sesto Fiorentino and Campi Bisenzio, with 31 classes involved, for a total of over 700 pupils.

We also gathered consent to take part in the pilot actions from approximately 350 families. This makes us confident we’ll be able to engage —and positively influence— a significant share of our community, while collecting a substantial amount of data that is essential for our research on rejection drivers and household consumption habits.

In the meantime, UNIFI is finalizing the class intervention calendar together with the schools. Researchers will work with children throughout February and March, while measurements in school canteens and special menus are being planned in collaboration with QS kitchen staff.

So yes — here we go: the project is officially underway.

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey!