The Union of Working Consumers of Greece and the Municipality of Elefsina in Attica, Greece presented at an event, on Tuesday, 12 November 2024, the importance of Healthy nutrition and the social inclusion of vulnerable consumers within the framework of the ESF+ Food4Inclusion – Healthy Meal project.

The project scope aims to create a restaurant network  that offer healthy and sustainable meals to vulnerable people at reduced prices on any given day of the week and to promote this practice across Europe.

At this event a series of issues emerged, such as the increase in the prices of food and basic necessities, poverty and social inequality, food waste, importance of food donation, as well as, the impact of the climate crisis on nutrition. which were the main concerns for the creation of actions aimed at the social inclusion of vulnerable consumers

The event was welcomed by the President of the Municipal Council of Elefsina, Maria Charalambidi, who referred to the actions of the social services of the Municipality of Elefsina and emphasized the importance of the Healthy Meals initiative.

At the event, the President of the Union of Working Consumers of Greece, Apostolos Raftopoulos, highlighted the social inequality caused by the impact of high inflationary prices in general and the housing crisis. He emphasized that access to healthy food is not only an economic but also a social and moral issue, since the livelihood and quality of life of every human being depends on it.

The Director of the Union of Working Consumers of Greece, Anastasia Chatzipavlou described the food waste, the need for the institutionalization of rules to facilitate  food donations, as well as the actions of the Union of Working Consumers of Greece to support vulnerable consumers in Greece.

The Director of Organizational Innovation and Management Systems (ORIMAS LAB), of the Agricultural University Professor Panagiotis Trivellas and Dr. Anna Anastasopoulou, presented new scientific tools highlighting the role of scientific research in the conformation of socio-economic interventions and policies.

The Deputy Manager of Safe food advocacy Europe, Lead Partner of the Healthy Meal project Luigi Tozzi, presented the inception, progress and evolution, as well as the manners civil society actors intervene in solving social issues.

The Director of the Czech Consumers Association/Sdružení českých spékylů, z.ú. Viktor Vodička presented the new digital platform of the Healthy Meal project, which will be accessible both by the economically vulnerable social groups and by the restaurant’s network.

Finally, testimonials from restaurant owners in Greece, participating in the network from year 2023, entitled “Food stories. The restaurateurs of the Food4Inclusion Healthy Meal network tell their stories” was shown with a video.

The event was honored with their presence by the representative of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kotsiras Georgiou, Mr. Kourelis Evangelos, Mrs. Rigatou Mary, Special Advisor for Social Policy of the Regional Unity of Western Attica, Members of the Municipal Council and Members of the Opposition of the Municipality of Elefsina and the President of the Labor Center of Elefsina Mr. Liggos Evangelos.

More information about the project and its progress can be found here:

The restaurant network in Greece and the 6 countries participating in the project

The project “ESF+ Food4Inclusion – Healthy Meal” is implemented within the framework of the program “European Social Fund+ (ESF) Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines (SocPL) Agreement – Project 101059066” with the implementing body SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe