Taste of the Future Festival: Students Reducing Food Waste at Priekuļi Elementary School, Latvia

Priekuļi Elementary School became the first school in the Baltic States to take part in the Nordic Council of Ministers Nordic Embassy Cooperation Programme project “Food for the Future: A Cross-Baltic School-to-Community Approach to Zero Waste.” With great enthusiasm and in cooperation with the Eco Schools Network in Latvia, the school organized the “Taste of the Future” festival on 20 November, welcoming more than 70 participants, including students, parents, grandparents, and teachers.

The day was filled with diverse and engaging activities, all focused on the problem of food waste and possible solutions. Students took part in lectures, discussions, and practical workshops. A special highlight of the festival was a cooking masterclass led by Nils Ģēvele, head chef at FERMA — a renowned sustainable restaurant in Riga — where students learned how to ferment leftover vegetables and prepare a zero-waste dessert, transforming food that would normally be thrown away into something delicious and useful.

The festival was part of a broader effort to promote sustainable living and responsible food consumption within the school and the wider community. Prior to the event, a food-waste monitoring exercise at Priekuļi Elementary School revealed that approximately 100 kilograms of food waste per week were being discarded — almost six tons per year. This included both uneaten meals and kitchen scraps such as vegetable peels and leftovers from food preparation.

These results strongly motivated students, teachers, and families to seek solutions together. During the festival, students suggested becoming more involved in menu planning and portion decisions as one way to reduce waste. They also pointed out that allowing students to choose what and how much food goes on their plates, instead of fixed portions, could significantly decrease the amount of discarded food.

During his masterclass, Nils Ģēvele emphasised the importance of making school meals more attractive and appealing to children, as this directly affects how much food is consumed. He encouraged school kitchens to be creative, pay attention to flavor, and consider students’ feedback and preferences in menu development.

The festival also brought together parents, grandparents, local businesses, and community members, who shared ideas, discussed sustainable habits, and supported the school’s efforts to rethink food culture and reduce waste at a broader level.

Looking ahead, in 2026 an ambassadors programme will be launched for the most motivated students, offering deeper learning and opportunities to actively promote zero-waste practices. A roundtable discussion with local municipality representatives and representatives of the Nordic embassies in Latvia is also planned to explore solutions to food waste at the community and policy level.

In 2026, the initiative is expected to expand to Estonia and Lithuania, where similar “Taste of the Future” festivals, ambassador programmes, and municipal roundtables will be organized in cooperation with the Eco School Networks in those countries — building a stronger, cross-Baltic movement for a more sustainable and responsible food future.