The day’s program would take us from Dortmund, Germany, to Bruges, Belgium, with a stop in the Netherlands. We would be crossing three countries in one day!
Today, we encountered our first setback. Part of our itinerary was unexpectedly canceled without prior notice.
This caused some anxiety, but it successfully put some of our soft skills to the test. In the end, it only resulted in a one-hour delay in reaching our destination.
Bruges, located in northern Belgium, captivated us with its canals and medieval architecture. On the downside, the streets were crowded with people, and the horse-drawn carriages offering tourist rides were not very considerate of pedestrians.
One of the city’s main concerns is combating food waste. To address this, they implemented a strategy based on three steps:
Strategic analysis to measure how much and where food was wasted.
Action plans developed through a participatory approach: supported by local organizations, the municipality created the Bruges Food Lab, a local stakeholder council on sustainable food.
Focus on specific sectors: particularly healthcare, which in 2015 wasted a total of 318 tonnes of food per year (just from hot meals), equivalent to 1,017 tonnes of CO2 emissions and costing 195,000 euros.
After just two years, the results were outstanding:
Bruges became a European leader, with up to 43% of food waste prevented in the main local hospital.
For every euro invested in preventing food waste, the city saved 8 euros that would have been spent on managing food waste.
In 2017, this project won a special mention award for Food Waste at the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact conference.
By late afternoon, the fatigue began to set in. It was time to make the journey back to Brussels.
Learning is a journey that knows no boundaries. It can take place anywhere, at any time, and through countless forms. Whether sitting in a classroom, exploring a new city, or simply having a conversation with a friend, learning opportunities are everywhere.
We are a group eager for new learning experiences.