Two schools, two classes. Two different cities and the same theme: food waste. Its impacts, the good practices to reduce it, at school and at home. Here's how Moments not to waste was experienced in primary schools in Milan and Ancona.
School is still a magical place today. It is the mirror of contemporary society, a window onto the future that gives us an idea of what we will be like in 10 or 20 years' time. You can feel it, because it seems like a cradle where the young are shaped into the adults of tomorrow. It is at this age, particularly during primary school, that their potential is still infinite, unique. Of course, every child, every pupil has their own story, their own aptitude, their own character. And it is precisely with this in mind that educational projects touching on topics more relevant than ever, such as food waste, can find fertile ground. This is how Momenti da non sprecare by Whirlpool, in collaboration with La Fabbrica, came about — dedicated to food education and aimed at primary schools in Lombardy and the Marche.
In Milan the day is grey, despite it being late spring. The neighbourhood is Gallaratese. This is where the Alex Visconti primary school stands, part of the Istituto Comprensivo Borsi, which is home to the pupils of class 3° A. In these classrooms, thanks in part to projects like Momenti da non sprecare, "teaching breaks its routine" and "children show great curiosity for what is new", recounts teacher Vilma Campesato, who has followed the pupils since their first year. "Over the three years they have been attending school, these pupils have become more willing to try new foods, have put forward suggestions for the menus, are able to cook with their parents at home, and happily accept fruit as a snack," explains the teacher. With the album La mia cucina antispreco, the pupils received various prompts on smart and mindful shopping, on the correct use of household appliances, and on food storage. "Talking about responsible consumption in the classroom is very useful, above all by focusing attention on how the ingredients needed for a recipe are bought and stored," the teacher continues. "This is where the fight against food waste begins."
Activities like these, capable of blending different ingredients such as rules, technology and science, seem to be the right mix for the perfect recipe: capturing children's attention and encouraging participation. "School must provide knowledge, experience and good habits. The positive behaviours that are learned and consolidated in primary school create the foundation for the life of each child and their families, present and future." A positive impact, demonstrated also by the commitment shown in completing the project to enter the competition Talent Kitchen – storie di cucine che non sprecano: every pupil makes their own contribution, whether creative or hands-on. And often the results are small gems of originality, where one thing is very clear: technology is already an integral part of children's lives. But Moments not to waste also tells another story: that of collaboration between the public and private sectors, where companies active in the area make resources and materials available to stimulate activities that go beyond the everyday "reading and arithmetic." "Collaboration between schools and the educational projects offered by companies is extremely important, because each one brings contributions drawn from the specific experience of society and supplements theory with experiments or demonstrations that stay in pupils' memories for a long time."
In Ancona Torrette, a district of the eponymous coastal city, stands the Don Milani primary school, which is home to classes 4A and 4B, both involved in Whirlpool's Moments not to waste project. Here the two teachers, Annarosaria Colletta and Stefania Giacconi, work together to guide students along a path that rediscovers the conviviality of food. "Over the years we have noticed how little children talk at home, even when it comes to food," says teacher Stefania. "That is why they show a great deal of interest in the educational prompts we develop at school." Hence a short story, performed live by the pupils, about the "scatterbrained family" that wastes all the food prepared for a picnic, so that at mealtime the true star of the outing is missing, the celebrations fade away and the family returns home sad but with a lesson learned: food must not be wasted.
"School is the place where children begin to form themselves," emphasises teacher Annarosaria. "It therefore plays a fundamental role in preparing future citizens. It is precisely here that the child develops in every respect. And we have seen how, when talking about food and eating, children show an interested and proactive attitude." It is they, then, who help their parents write the shopping list and buy "only what is needed," to avoid food being thrown away and thereby generating savings for the family budget as well. The stimuli are the right ones, so much so that every pupil composed a rhyming nursery rhyme, focused of course on food waste. Some of them could put the best advertising copywriter to shame when it comes to finding new slogans. "Over the years we have taken part in numerous initiatives linked to food, in particular to discovering fish, given that we are a seaside city," explains teacher Stefania. "Getting children used to having a varied diet is a fundamental step for their growth and wellbeing. These projects help to explore certain aspects in depth that would otherwise only be touched on briefly during the year." The conviviality of food returns in the classes' educational programme, particularly in today's mixed classes, where different cultures and food traditions, palates and often unfamiliar recipes come together. "In our case, food has also been a reason for dialogue and integration," concludes teacher Annarosaria. "Food is something that all people have in common, whatever their background."