Program duration: 01/03/2022 - 01/03/2025

SUST-AID

“Environmentally Sustainable Food Aid programs in Europe: Vocational educational training for strengthening capacities and program delivery”

SUST-AID is a 36-month project (01/03/2022 – 01/03/2025) funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. The project aims to cover the current gaps and needs in knowledge, training and skills by developing and evaluating a VET program for the delivery of sustainable food aid programs.

Αbout 820 million people around the world experience chronic hunger while among them 113 million cope with acute severe insecurity), with the estimations being more adverse due to the consequences of COVID-19) pandemic. Furthermore, the food insecurity level in Europe presents substantial increases within the last decade – even more when it comes to the nowadays challenges. In fact, the COVID-19 crisis has already brought a new food emergency in Europe, increasing the demand for food up to 50% compared to the pre-coronavirus period, with negative future expectations; over 90% of European Food Banks have reported increasing emergency food assistance demands, due to the rising number of people in need. The current energy crisis is to further worsen this condition. This is also doubly the case, given the growing expectations of a global recession not to leave anyone behind including vulnerable groups, as part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. In a world with finite resources, it is imperative to focus on sustainable solutions.

The SUST-AID program recognizes to address the following needs to:

  • enhance capacity of food-aid programs in Europe to provide sustainable food-aid of good quality and maximizing the positive impact and social inclusion of vulnerable populations.
  • promote action in line with the SDGs: Τhe project identifies the inter linkages among provision of food aid that ensures sustainable production and consumption patterns in accordance with four main dimensions: health, social, economic and environment.
  • increase nutritional, green and management skills of staff and volunteers of food-aid programs.

SUST-AID will develop an interactive training curriculum reflecting the contemporary needs of staff and volunteers working in food-aid regarding: a) the specific key pillars for sustainable food-aid delivery, b) the specific training needs of people who work in food aid provision c) the specific susceptibilities and nutritional needs of vulnerable populations (migrants/refugees, students, elderly, families in need, homeless), d) the need for an inter-disciplinary approach in food aid provision to achieve social inclusion.

The consortium consists of 6 organizations from 5 countries: Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Poland and Portugal.

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Project Coordinator:

The Polish Farm Advisory and Training Centre not-for-profit Sp. z o. o., Miastkowo, Poland

Project partners:

Prolepsis Institute, Greece

ISEKI-Food Association, Austria 

Federacja Polskich Banków Żywności, Poland

CARITAS DIOCESANA DE COIMBRA, Portugal

CSI – Center for Social Innovation LTD, Cyprus

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Contact Information:

Matina Kouvari, MSc, PhD
Director of Nutrition Design & Research
m.kouvari@prolepsis.gr

Pania Karnaki, MHSc
Director of European and International Programs
p.karnaki@prolepsis.gr