Based on the initiative by JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas, the Austrian Cafeterias Ltd began a program in May 2019 at the Johannes Kepler University Linz to overhaul the cafeteria’s food offerings in Linz and use organic and locally sourced products. The cafeteria aims to set a conscious example against mass livestock farming and support sustainability. Werner Lampert, an organic pioneer in Austria, served as an external consultant during the process. As a public institution, the JKU serves as a role model and changing over to organic food products is in line with its commitment to social responsibility.

The Johannes Kepler University Linz and the Austrian Cafeterias Ltd are launching an unprecedented sustainable food measure that not only corresponds to the times but is also a social issue: a makeover at the JKU Linz cafeteria to use organic food products. The decision addresses important issues such as animal welfare, environmental protection, regional land development, and healthy eating.

Food Decisions on a Plate
Werner Lampert and his team were invited by the Austrian Mensa to create a concept as to how to best overhaul and increase the sustainable food quality at the cafeteria. The first step in mid-May 2019 was to begin using only organic meat for all meat dishes: "Today, the decision as to what kind of food ends up on our plates is a political decision. Every day, each of us can decide what kind of world we want to live in by what we eat. Food directly impacts the environment, people and animals, and of course, our health," says Lampert.

The land from which our food comes from is the cornerstone for these impacts. The type of agriculture used not only influences the climate, the environment, global water and land consumption, poverty and wealth, but also our health and world hunger. As our planet approaches the 10 billion people mark, we have to ask ourselves how can we respect our planet’s ecological limits while also being able to feed 10 billion people? As one of the greatest challenges in the coming decades, we can only master the future by re-thinking what we know and responsibly taking action.

Since the very beginning, organic farming has followed principles of responsibility. Today, this especially means preventing negative developments by slowing down as well as protecting and preserving the land. Organic farming means applying "good agricultural practices" by not using artificial fertilizers, giving fruit and vegetables time to ripen naturally, and not giving cows additional protein input to increase milk production. Organic food production is a way to work with nature, and not against nature. It’s not about producing for the moment, but rather producing over generations with knowledge passed on to future generations. Lampert added: "We are privileged in Austria: every fifth farm is an organic farm. Every fourth hectare of agricultural land is cultivated organically. However, this means that synthetic chemical sprays and fertilizers are being used on 75% of our farming lands and we should all be concerned about that.”

Extinction threatens 40% of insects and 75% of crop plants depend on insect pollination. On a global scale, 50% to 90% of species are on the verge of extinction because of too little crop diversification as well as areas that are too large with far less crop rotations. 35% of soil types in European agriculture are coarsely compacted and soil life is damaged, requiring balance using energy-intensive industrial fertilizers. It is a vicious cycle that will result in losing soil fertility and biodiversity.

Werner Lampert remarked, "Agriculture today is one of the largest destroyers of species, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases as with land-use changes, farming accounts for approximately 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food production is systematically destroying the environment and reducing chances for future generations to survive. Despite all of the efforts, all of the chemistry, all of the innovations, conventional agriculture will no longer be able to feed future generations."

Organic Agriculture: NOT the Solution but the Right Path
Organic farming means using no industrial fertilizers or chemically-synthetic additives and respecting and supporting plant and animal diversity. Organic farming means maintaining soil fertility using compost and sensible crop rotation as well as rejecting mass livestock farming and creating a productive, respectful relationship between humans and animals.

In the western world in particular, mass livestock farming and meat consumption are very important and there are essential factors that must change rapidly. Global meat production has almost quadrupled in the past 50 years (1965: 84 million tons, 2017: 330 million tons). What was once a grass-eating animal has turned into a production unit to raise animals as quickly as possible in a small, confined space using concentrated feed (cereals, soya) specially cultivated for this purpose in order to artificially increase growth and/or milk yield. This form of mass livestock farming, whether for cattle, chicken or pigs, impacts the environment, humans and animals.

When it comes to meat consumption in Europe, Austria ranks at the top (Böll Foundation 2015) with 106.4 kg slaughter weight of meat per person per year. Reducing meat consumption would drastically reduce the negative effects that food production has on the global climate. "But this does not mean that everyone has to become vegan, just that we have to reduce our consumption of animal food and, above all, pay attention to what kinds of meat – meaning from the type of production - that we eat," says Lampert. The insanity can only be ended by abolishing mass livestock farming and reducing our meat consumption. Ruminant animals should be kept in the pastures instead of in stables. Farm animals should be allowed roam freely outdoors, bask in the sun, and move freely, and not be kept in confined spaces. Sustainable livestock farming is not only climate-friendly, but also ethically valuable. And it is also regionally authentic.

Consistent regional organic and authentic agriculture means ending mass livestock farming and the poor treatment of farm animals. But beyond livestock farming, it also means that agriculture is a natural space, with fallow land, hedges, streams and other natural structures to conserve biodiversity. It means abandoning chemically-synthetic pesticides and allowing the insect population to recover and restore the natural ecosystem balance. It means abandoning the use of mineral fertilizers and paying attention to the soil; in other words, taking every measure to prevent erosion and organic matter loss. Lampert cautions: "Being ecologically sustainable means taking care of nature and conserving natural resources for future generations. Climate protection is affected, along with emissions and water consumption, preserving biodiversity, maintaining cultural and landscape areas, and carefully using natural resources."

Years of Expertise in Sustainability is now a Large-Scale Pioneer Gastronomic Project
With the help of long-standing expert Werner Lampert Beratungsgesellschaft m.b.H., a very special project - from agriculture to slaughtering – was implemented, including the quality requirements in livestock farming as well as the origin of the feed, and the high standards for animal health rights from birth to slaughter. Lampert added: "This project means that the JKU and the ÖMBG are taking an important step in the right direction: Conscious meat consumption, sustainably produced organic food for the health and the future of humans, animals, and the environment."

An Example for Sustainable Food and against Mass Livestock Farming
The Austrian Cafeterias Ltd. began the conversion in May 2019 together with the Johannes Kepler University Linz. Based on an initiative by JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas, the cafeteria in Linz is using only organic and locally sourced products without increasing prices. The change began in mid-May changing to organic meat, sausages and poultry. The goal is to, over time, use only locally sourced and/or organic food.

A university is a place of knowledge, education and training - but a university’s responsibility goes far beyond a public educational mandate. A university has to take political, social and ecological responsibility, be it to be transparent to its employees and students in all of their diversity, enable lower-income students earn an academic degree, and to assume ecological responsibility. On this note, the JKU Cafeteria is leading the way, setting an example against a background of ecological responsibility and, at the same time, taking a stand against mass livestock farming. JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas remarked: "On one hand, we want to provide our employees with healthy food choices and on the other hand, we want to be an example to support sustainable food and take a stand against mass livestock farming. After all, we are talking about 1,300 to 1,500 meals a day. Here at the JKU, we teach and conduct research about sustainability and recycling management. If we want to be taken seriously, we have to put our money where our mouth is and pay attention to our campus practices." The effect goes beyond the meals consumed at the university cafeteria. As a public institution, the JKU serves as a role model and is fulfilling its social responsibility by changing over to organic food. Rector Lukas added: "At the same time, we are fundamentally addressing the question as to how we treat animals. Our eating habits are of the utmost importance. Meat from mass livestock farming should not be consumed for ethical reasons, but also in lieu of climate change. We can only be credible in our beliefs if we act accordingly ourselves. That's why we started this project."

Iris Eliisa Rauskala, Austrian Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, remarked: "The Austrian Cafeterias Ltd. have already been certified with the eco-label at their operations throughout Austria and meet the strict criteria to maintain sustainable goals. The JKU campus in Linz is going one step further: The cafeteria offers mostly organic food products on site and is now proud bearer of the Austrian Organic Certificate. Starting with meat, in the future it will also be possible to see exactly from which organic farms the current range of food comes."

Conscious Sustainability
Franz Haslauer, Managing Director of Austrian Cafeterias, remarked, "All of us at Austrian Cafeterias Ltd. take the importance of food for the population and our future generations very seriously. With regard to sustainability, we are very aware of our responsibilities when catering to our guests. Our target group is young, educated, sophisticated and particularly critical with high expectations. We enthusiastically follow new trends and emphasize them as necessary, especially when, as in this case, they significantly impact society as a whole."

In 2018, an estimated 350 tons of meat and sausage products were processed at cafeterias throughout Austria. The Johannes Kepler University in Linz accounted for approximately one tenth of this total consumption.

As one of Austria’s most innovative universities, the JKU Linz is leading the way in taking important steps in the right direction and the Austrian cafeterias appreciate and are grateful for the support of university management.

In concrete terms, there have been great organizational and economic challenges:

• Revising all of the recipes and finding reliable suppliers who could deliver the required quantities.
• Developing a concept to meet the requirements was finalized in spring. The company has already successfully implemented the first phase.
• As far as the suppliers are concerned, Werner Lampert’s team was able to procure high-quality, locally sourced products and ensure their origins can be 100% traced back to the producing farmer.

From a business perspective, the low prices in the university catering sector were a tight squeeze. Products that other businesses get discounts for is unaffordable when it comes to mass catering. It should be noted that while the federal government owns 100% of the ÖMBG, is not subsidized.

Franz Haslauer added: "When it comes to planning meals, we have creative recipes and flexibility, continuing to create a sustainable menu so we can continue cooking for our guests with enthusiasm - this is logical - now also BIOlogical - wherever possible. We plan on integrating this concept at other cafeterias in Austria and tailor the concept to fit their business and economic conditions. We are currently in talks with two other universities."

What does changing to organic food mean in the kitchen? Georg Felgenhauer, head of the kitchen at the JKU cafeteria, remarked, "Meat that is 100% organic requires a longer cooking period. We carefully select just the right cooking methods. Certain orders can take longer, which can affect our tight planning schedule. We just need to plan in more time. Food is delivered to our own cold storage spaces and – as always in the past – we very much enjoy the food preparation and cooking process. The higher quality of food provides for an even better taste experience. We enjoy the positive feedback we have been getting.”