The Parents Association at the Larrabetzu publicly-run school have been fully in charge of running the school canteen service for ten years now. Since 2008, the Association has opted for this self-management model to run the school’s canteen in order to ensure a healthy and balanced diet for their children. The emphasis is on top-quality and carefully prepared ingredients and priority is given to seasonal, fresh and locally-sourced products.

This was the first school to manage its canteen and it has become a benchmark for other education centres interested in following along the same route. The initiative’s results are noteworthy: 17% of the food used is organic, the purchases and menus are adapted to consumption needs and all the organic waste is recovered.

The students eat local and seasonal products, 17% of which are organic.

The commitment to top quality without affecting the service price, which is line with the one set by the Basque Government, is accomplished by products being supplied from baserritarras (Basque farmsteads) and local stores.

The school avoids food wastage by recovering all the organic waste (4 tons/year) and creating nearly 800 kg of compost per school year.

The Parents Association buy the products directly, making sure they purchase just what is to be used to avoid wastage and ensure sound financial management of the waste.

This experience is featured in “20 Circular Food Best Practices” published by Ihobe, the Basque Government’s environmental management agency.