Living: Innovation action plan

1. CRFS vision 2030 and challenge statements

The general challenge is to support the development of a fair and regional food supply, especially in schools, colleges and kindergartens to promote a healthy lifestyle, support regional food producers and reduce waste with the aim of making Bremerhaven more sustainable. The idea is to start imparting knowledge as early as possible. In general, the knowledge and appreciation of CRFS must be increased within the citizens! 

Based on the current situation in the region, the following priorities were chosen. 

1. Consumers: The consumer sub-challenge is to improve the regionality and sustainability of food and food products used in schools, colleges and kindergartens. 

2. Production: The sub-challenge related to production is to increase the number of local customers and to facilitate the possibility to buy regional food and food products. 

3. Waste: The sub-challenge related to waste is to reduce the amount of waste generated and the need for it. 

2. Collaboration with stakeholders

The Bremerhaven Cities2030 team has already involved stakeholders from schools, producers, engaged citizens and external experts. More stakeholders ranging from caterers, producers, food processors, teachers, engaged citizens, external experts and more are expected to be involved. The close cooperation with the Bremerhaven Food Council also provides steady input from outside (from farmers, producers, etc.). 

3. Living Lab resources

The constant cooperation between the three Bremerhaven Partners (P15, 16, 17) provides a constant exchange. The various activities of the 3 partners ensure continuous communication with the LL stakeholders. The resources for the experiments are secured through the budget of the three partners. However, the involvement of external partners is needed (external resources, e.g. working time of teachers, voluntary support of the food council). 

4. Living Lab experiments

1. “Lehe in progress” co-create a part of the participatory oasis „Pergolinchen“: 

Regular guided district walks on urban gardening: Activation and involvement of the population through an “excursion format”. Each walk to a different place in the neighbourhood and doing or thinking about something together. One of the POI is the “Leher Pergolinchen”. The award winning Bremerhaven innovation „Urban Pergola“ was installed at a small scale in Bremerhaven Lehe as a green participatory oasis. Children, young people and residents can learn about plant growth, nutrient supply and "urban gardening" and get enthusiastic about it. The plants are planted with leaves or fruits that are suitable for consumption in the sense of urban gardening.

Objective & Monitoring: Involvement of the citizens via “excursion format”. Measures: Number of participants; Development together with teachers a concept for an steady learning tool about sustainable and urban gardening, Number of teachers participating in Workshop.

Collaboration: Lehe Neighbourhood Service, Leher Pausenhof, Schools

Study questions: Do people take responsibility for the “productive places” through this activation work? Are there people who are willing to do citizen science? Can the approach encourage pupils to adopt more sustainable eating habits? What is needed to integrate these issues into education?

Target Group: Students, People with ideas, Teachers

Timeframe: Ongoing/running until March 2023

2. Local bread for local school kids – Lok-Lok-Schnitte (German)

Product development as co-creation with children and local bakery of a regional bread with added healthy value and target group-specific characteristics (children: no whole grains, soft consistency). Ideally with integration of “local superfood” or protein-rich legumes.

Objective & Monitoring: Development of the distribution and price structure as well as the costs in the local bakery (focus discussion). Results flow into PL; measurement of acceptance by the children. Preparation of a good marketing concept (by the local bakery), especially for parents

Collaboration: Local bakery, schools, food technologists

Study questions: Can bread that is developed together with children contribute to healthier eating habits? Can it also lead to a more sustainable local bread production in the long run?

Target Group: Children and young adults

Timeframe: January 2024 to April 2024

3. Kindergarten waste recycling: My friend, the worm

Implementation of the Toolbox for recording of food waste in kindergartens of the consumer advice centre Bremen in combination/extension of the operation of a worm farm (new approach). Three day-care centres receive a worm farm and explore the formation of compost with their “own” waste over a period of 1-2 months.

Objective & Monitoring: Discover which food waste is suitable for an earthworm farm. How much waste was fed and thus “saved” (Circular Economy)? Easy questions for the kids at the beginning of the experiment and at the end, compare answers to see if knowledge has increased. Measurement of acceptance by the children and parents

Collaboration: Kindergartens, Consumer advice centre Bremen

Study questions: Can worm farms in kindergartens stimulate research? How great is the potential for participation and enthusiasm? Can a composter quickly become a normal part of everyday life and the daily disposal of organic waste – a nice ritual for the children?

Target Group: Children

Timeframe: March 2023 to July 2023

4. Foodsharing fridge at the HS Bremerhaven

Display a Foodsharing fridge in the Bremerhaven University o.a.s., open to all students. Spare food (unopened and non-perishable) from the canteen & other people shall be placed there. Students can help themselves to it free of charge.

Objective & Monitoring: A social-sustainable way to reduce food waste, create fair access to food and raise awareness for food waste and a more responsible food handling. Encouraging personal initiative M: Number of fridge users (givers/takers). Throughout the experiment, information (Did you know that...?) is posted on the fridge. At the end of the experiment, the recurring Users are surveyed with a questionnaire

Collaboration: University of applied sciences Bremerhaven, Students-Association “AstA”

Study questions: Can a fridge like this help save food from being thrown away? Is this a good way to reuse food? Who will take long-term responsibility? How much of the information could be transmitted by this casual learning method?

Target Group: Students, University of applied sciences Bremerhaven

Timeframe: August 2023 to November 2023 (last week in September > German Action Week “Too good for the bin”)

5. Casual Learning/Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt with a focus on sustainable regional nutrition. A playful approach to nutritional knowledge with the free app Scavenger Hunt.de. A list of tasks within a set period of time has to be done via a free app. The players with the highest score are awarded attractive prizes, directly related to sustainable nutrition.

Objective & Monitoring: In a playful and fun way, interesting information on sustainable nutrition, regional food supply chains, cost structures (true cost accounting) and benefits for the local economy can be given to a broad target group. Monitoring: number of participants, evaluation of answers: number of questions answered and tasks solved

Collaboration: Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences

Study questions: How good is the nutritional knowledge of the young urban society, where are the gaps? Is this approach suitable for conveying nutrition knowledge? How many people can we reach with this format?

Target Group: Young people, students Communication: Application via social media, PR

Timeframe: Summer 2023 (2-3 months)

5. Other Living Lab's measures 

Can the overall work in the LL generate new contacts and cooperation between people (volunteering, working in an already existing association, SME, NGOs, etc) in order to support a reconsideration? How many people will become members of the new food council over the duration of the experiments? How many people participate in the “Regulars’ table” from the food council?

6. SMART Goals

7. Communication, dissemination and exploitation

Participation in existing regional communication formats: A) “Wissenschaft fürs Wohnzimmer”: scientific presentation on youtube Wissenschaft fürs Wohnzimmer - YouTube, B) Scavenger Hunt: Cities2030-Project awarding ceremony, C) Science meets Public: entertaining lecture to a wide audience in a pub SCIENCE GOES PUBLIC! - stadtmarketing-bremerhaven.de, D) Distribution of beer mats in regional pubs with catchy slogans, E) “Regulars’ table” together with the food council. Initiative of the German Federal Government: Startseite - Zu gut für die Tonne (zugutfuerdietonne.de). Supraregional media: Social Media, e.g. coop, with regional food bloggers. Reports in professional journals. Blogpost on regional websites. Classic communication strategy: press releases, regional media, trade fairs, conferences, events, flyers. 

8. Continuity- and scale-up measures

Win over the University of Applied Sciences to keep the food sharing fridge and support its purpose. Support the activities of the Food council to become deeply rooted in the regional CRFS via “food-space”. Implement more steady learning tools regularly used by teachers and educators as part of a curriculum on CRFS and sustainability in general. Change the current mindset: regional food is not more expensive or more difficult to reach. Regional structures have many advantages for our society and give benefits in social, ecologic and economic ways. 

9. Risk assessment

All experiments require a high level of attention and thus resources from the stakeholders (time, money). If it is not possible to convince as many relevant stakeholders as possible of the vision, there is a high risk of failure. No acceptance by the stakeholders means no acceptance in the implementation of the experiments. The topic of “costs” is particularly sensitive and requires a high level of attention and, most likely, many communication resources. To minimise the risk, we reserve a lot of time for networking and communication. We also suggest creative ways of communicating so that people come into “smooth” contact with CRFS without frontal communication.