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Ongoing

Commun'assiette

The Community of Practice for Sustainable Institutional Food

Commun'assiette brings together institutional organizations from all sectors (early childhood, schools, colleges, universities, health and workplace) along with supply-chain stakeholders, partners and local authorities to promote and accelerate the transition to a healthy, local and environmentally responsible food procurement in institutions.

The challenge

A growing interest in sustainable meals is emerging in Quebec institutions, reflecting a collective desire to favor healthy, local and eco-responsible foods.

Towards more sustainable meals for all

In Quebec, the demand for healthy, local and eco-responsible meals in our institutions continues to grow. In response, the Stratégie nationale d'achat d'aliments québécois (SNAAQ), launched in 2020, aims to increase local procurement in public institutions. This initiative is crucial to building more resilient food systems and meeting the expectations of a society seeking sustainability.

Challenges to overcome together

Despite significant advances, many pioneering institutions still face challenges in integrating more sustainable foods into their menus. Collaboration between producers, processors, distributors and food service managers remains crucial to the success of this transition.

Mobilization and resources needed

To make progress, institutions need resources, support and peer exchange. Access to practical tools and inspiring initiatives is essential to driving forward sustainable food in foodservice.

“  If we add together all the actions taken by Quebec institutions toward a healthier, local and environmentally responsible food system, we have the capacity to raise awareness among a very large number of people. We need to work together as a community through Commun'assiette!  ”

Lyne Royer

Équiterre's work

Équiterre contributes to the development of sustainable institutional food by supporting Quebec institutions and organizations, many of which belong to Commun'assiette.

We're working to raise awareness in order to more broadly influence and impact the various links in the supply chain.

Équiterre founded Commun'assiette and oversees its implementation, working with the help of a network of dynamic institutions and collaborators who are rooted in their communities. The community of practice is defining the issues, identifying the most effective strategies and implementing initiatives in which each member contributes based on their strengths. Commun'assiette was first established in Montreal and hopes to eventually expand to the entire province of Quebec.

Concrete solutions to facilitate the transition to sustainable institutional food in Quebec

Discover Commun’assiette

Objectives

  1. Create a movement to promote healthy, local and environmentally responsible food in Quebec institutions;
  2. Create connections among institutions, experts and authorities in order to increase collaboration and pool expertise, experience, tools, resources and work methods to increase the supply of healthy, local and environmentally responsible food in food services;
  3. Quantify the proportion of local food procurement through the Aliments du Québec au menu - Institution recognition program;
  4. Mobilize institutions to set gradually increasing targets for purchasing Quebec food over time;
  5. Consolidate and promote the tools, resources and initiatives that are currently in place for healthy, local and environmentally responsible food procurement;
  6. Promote best practices from community institutions in order to mobilize other institutions to follow suit.

What Commun'assiette wants to achieve to create lasting change:

  1. Increase the supply of sustainable food to improve health, strengthen the food system and support communities;
  2. Stimulate the local economy by collaborating with Quebec companies on issues such as transportation, food waste, menu veganization and packaging reduction;
  3. Encourage food education to sensitize management, staff and users to sustainable food choices.

Commun'Assiette is

Results so far

2 communities of practice (Montreal and Montérégie)

40 members with a total of 60 individuals, including 16 institutions, three food service management companies and 21 partners

50% Quebec food (overall average of member institutions for 2020-2021)

3 working committees on specific issues, allowing for consultation and collective action

🍽️ Did you know that Commun'assiette is entering its 5th year?

By 2024, 58% of purchases made by 21 Montreal institutions, serving more than 540 establishments, will be local! This represents $34 million invested in the local economy and agriculture, 👩‍🌾 out of a total of $59 million in food purchases. 🌎🌱

Project history

2023-2024

Celebrating people at the heart of change

Communication campaign celebrating the inspiring members who are transforming institutional food in Quebec.

Healthy eating and eco-responsible practices

Addition of two new sections to the web portal to help institutions adopt more sustainable menus.

Launch of the intranet for the community of practice

Implementation of the Passerelles intranet to facilitate collaboration and exchange between members.

Results 2023-2024

58% of purchases made by 21 institutions, serving over 540 establishments, come from local producers, reinforcing the mobilization and impact of Commun’assiette.

2022-2023

44 members representing 70 people, including 16 institutions, 3 food service management companies, 25 collaborators.

Activities:3 meetings of the entire community, committee work, various training courses and presentations: “Quantification of Quebec foods”, examples of eco-responsible practices. Healthy eating in institutional settings is now at the heart of Commun'assiette, DUX 2023 Jury's Coup de coeur - communications initiative category for the web portal.

Results: overall average of 57% Quebec food sourcing by members.

2021-2022

40 members consisting of 60 persons from 16 institutions, three food service management companies, and 21 collaborators.

Activities: Three meetings of the full community, committee work, and two training sessions: "Supply Chain 101" and "Quantification of Quebec foods," one meeting of the institutions and food service management companies, and one meeting of collaborators.

Results: To be reported in June 2022.

2020-2021

27 members consisting of 40 persons from ten institutions, two food service management companies, and 15 collaborators.

Activities: two meetings of the full community, establishment of three working committees.

Results: Overall average of 50% Quebec procurement by member institutions.

Testimonials

Videos

Some inspirational examples of local food procurement leaders from different types of institutional settings (in French)

Get involved!

Related content

Project Team

Partners

Commun'assiette is both a community of practice and a web portal. This project, initiated by Équiterre, was made possible thanks to the financial support of several partners: the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) through part 1 of the Programme de développement des marchés bioalimentaires which is part of the SNAAQ, as well as Aliments du Québec, the Fondation Choquette-Legault, the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux through the Table québécoise de la saine alimentation (TQSA). It was created thanks to substantial funding from the Système alimentaire montréalais (SAM), and the Fondation du Grand Montréal.

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