Looking Back on the Second Edition of the Foodsave Banquet in Lausanne

MYBLUEPLANET is dedicated to proposing projects and events that have a tangible impact in Switzerland. And what better topic than food waste to engage in concrete action and organize the Foodsave Banquet in Lausanne on Thursday, June 6! The Foodsave Banquet Lausanne is one of the key events we organize each year for our community in the Swiss Romandy region. Each event we organize helps to expand the MYBLUEPLANET movement across Switzerland.

Indeed, food waste in Switzerland accounts for about 25% of the country’s ecological footprint, thus significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Each year, around 3 million tons of food produced in Switzerland are lost or wasted along the food chain, with 45% attributable to household consumption and 33% to food production and distribution companies.

The “Foodsave Banquet” is an event that raises awareness about reducing food waste by organizing a festive banquet prepared with unsold food items. The event takes place in a public square, and passers-by are invited to enjoy a meal at a pay-what-you-can price. This event raises awareness about food waste and the respectful use of our food resources. The first “Foodsave Banquet” was organized four years ago at the central square of Bern station. Thus, every year in mid-September, the federal capital hosts a banquet organized by various associations and organizations.

After the success of our first edition in 2023, the environmental association MYBLUEPLANET, the cooperative COSEDEC, and Biovision, accompanied by Foodwaste.ch, repeated the experience with a second Lausanne edition on Thursday, June 6, 2024, from 11 am to 9 pm, at Place des Pionnières. After long months of work, we collected nearly 800 kg of unsold food items with the help of the Table couvre-toi association. The vegetables and fruits were then prepared and cooked by a team of volunteers and chefs from Eldora.

Despite the rain in the late afternoon, the banquet served more than 350 meals and fruit juices, saving many food items. In addition to serving the people of Lausanne, we also offered workshops to raise awareness about food waste. The leftovers were then distributed to associations like Unipoly, present on the UNIL and EPFL campuses, which notably supports the “Le Castor Freegan” project for student food security and the fight against food waste. The banquet also mobilized 20 volunteers and strengthened our MYBLUEPLANET community.