<< Background >>The background for the project is to increase interest for the cooking and chef/cooking education and profession for pupils in primary and secondary schools. At the same time, the pupils will increase knowledge on sustainable potential at the restaurant industry and cooking at private homes. Also, the project will address gender imbalance in the chef profession. The needs for the project are the shortage of qualified chefs/cooks in Europe, the gender imbalance in the profession and the raising focus on more sustainable actions in kitchen industry. Pupils in primary and secondary schools are the primary target group as they will increase interest in chef education and be educated in sustainable kitchen action to be agents of change. The COVID-19 crisis has had a substantial impact on the EU27 economy and triggered unprecedented policy responses across Europe and the globe. The food and drinks industries employ about 4.82 million people and generated a value-added of €266 billion in 2019 ( EP, Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on EU industries) Already before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the food industries have been subject to changing consumer behavior and emerging trends, such as rising demand for more local products, and hence keeping shorter supply chains. The Farm to Fork Strategy and the general awareness of the need for a higher degree of sustainability, healthy and nutritious food are forcing suppliers to adapt. Similarly, the trends of consumers increasing the demand for food labelled as healthy, sustainable and local food, which have been growing already before the pandemic and have only been accelerated, the year on year employment in the food and drink industries decreased by about 1,2 % for food and 2,2 % for drinks industries. Hospitality sector have been experiencing occupational shortages already in 2019 and the years before (based on Analysis of shortage and surplus occupations based on national and Eurostat Labour Force Survey data 2019 and 2017.) Hereby cooks, chefs and waiters were mentioned as one of the top occupations in the top 30 shortages of occupations in Europe. A significant gender segmentation was in presence in the analysis of shortage occupations, hereby males dominated STEM related occupations and while females dominate the clerical group. Hereby shortage of cooks has been in top 8 since 2015. Also, in 2019 and 2020 the restaurant industry in Europe is experiencing great shortage of qualified Cooks. Cooks are in top 8 shortage occupations in 2019 (European Comm.: Shortage and Surpluses 2019 p.7) and no 3 in most widespread shortage occupations in 2020 (European Comm.: Analysis of Shortage and Surpluses occupation 2020 p. 5 and 24) So, the issues and challenges according need for chefs and sustainable actions in kitchens are a common problem in all of Europe. But the culture, the experiences and the traditions are different from each country and region to another. By working on a common problem but with different perspectives, new and valuable output will be developed.<< Objectives >>The concrete objectives of the project: The main objective of the project is to increase interest of cooking and chef education as a future career choice for primary school and lower secondary school pupils by 30%. Subobjectives are: to increase knowledge on sustainability potential in the restaurant industry and cooking at private homes of primary school and lower secondary education school pupils by 40%. to address gender imbalance in chef education as future career choice through best practice examples with women chefs and restaurateurs. KPIs are following: 40-50 % of respondents (students in schools and VET, teachers in schools and VET, industry), that expressed higher awareness level on sustainability potential in restaurant industry after participation in the project activities 20-30 % of female pupils considering chef/cooking education as career choice after participation in the project activities 60-70 % teachers expressing confidence and satisfaction about their knowledge level on sustainable potential and possibilities for cooking classes in school education; 100.000- 150.000 views, downloads, likes and or shares of the project results published from all the partner countries 20-25 local, regional, national, transnational events that project results have been presented; 15-20 new direct sector relevant contacts gained beyond the partnership on local, national, regional and transnational level Between 500-700 participants at local, regional, national and transnational level hereby also final conference.<< Implementation >>WP1: Project management setup and overall project framework Activities are: Transnational meetings, Online kick off meeting, and online meetings. All activities will contribute to the project management including financial and budget control. WP3: Methodological framework for sustainable education material in primary and secondary school T3.1: Get information about needs from the pupils T3.2.: Get information about needs from teachers T3.3 Sustainability and Food culture course in Aalborg T3.4 Sustainability and Food culture course in Ladosa T3.5 Sustainability and Food culture course in Novo Mestro T3.6: Create an E-Book with links to the website Activities in WP3 will contribute to the main objective: increase interest of cooking and chef education as a further career choice for primary and lower secondary school pupils by 30%. At the visiting activities in WP3 (food culture courses) pupils will visit other countries and go to a local restaurant to cook together with a chef, also, the pupils will visit local food suppliers. The pupils will both learn about and develop sustaianable kitchen actions. The visits are very essential to get pupils interested and have a more positive thinking of the chef education. By getting information from both pupils and teachers it will be possible to create a valuable e-book which will contribute to the main objective now and in the future and the project result (1). At the visits pupils will both get and develop knowledge on sustainable kitchen actions and sustainable business opportunities. That will contribute to the sub objective: To increase knowledge on sustainable potential of pupils by 40%. At the visits pupils will meet male and female chefs and experience that the profession is for both genders. That will contribute to the sub objective: to address the gender imbalance in the chef education. WP4 Best case analysis and development of a sustainable guide T4.1: Get information’s about needs from the chef students. T4.2: Get sustainable information from the industry associations. T4.3: Create a guide with links to the website. T4.4: Publication of the guide to test. T4.5: Adjust the guide. T4:6: Final publication of the guide. The activities in WP4 will result in a lot of knowledge on sustainable cooking actions, raw materials and sustainable business opportunities. Also, the activities result in knowledge on how a persistent, current and valuable sustainable guide should be like. The guide will contribute to an exciting, international, “up to date” and current pensum at the chef education. That will strength the chef education and make it more interesting for pupils to join. That will contribute to the main objective and to the result (2). WP5 Evaluation and feedback T5.1 Feedback from pupils, teachers and restaurants T5.2 Evaluation / test of the education materials for schools T5.3 Evaluation / test of sustainable guide for chef students T5.4 Evaluation of the results by local partners The activities in WP5 will contribute to qualify the results 1 and 2. By letting the target groups test and form the results it is possible to create a useful and valuable result that will be used after the end of the project. The result will contribute to keep focus on increasing interest for the chef education after end of the project. Thereby the main objective will be addressed during the project and after the project.<< Results >>ON AN INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL, THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO: Result in the development and implementation of innovative practices and greater awareness of the sustainable gastronomy potential and gender inequalities/challenges in chef professions. Result in a more modern, dynamic, committed, responsible, gender aware and professional learning environment. Result in a better understanding on the relation between food and sustainability. Result in a better understanding and recognition of skills and qualifications in cooking and chef profession of pupils across the partners. Result in increased Erasmus+ exchanges among pupils between the partners. Result in a closer links by educational institutions to the restaurant industry ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO: result in increased competence in foreign languages and sustainable food knowledge, and generally, improved competences, linked to professional cooking/chef profiles among the individuals directly or indirectly involved in the project. Result in a more positive attitude towards the European project and the EU values, including cultural diversity. Results in increased opportunities for professional development, including increased motivation and satisfaction in daily work. The expected key results of the project are two results: (1), and (2): (1) Development of a sustainable cooking education material (2) Development of a sustainable guide with the best cases of sustainable restaurants and food suppliers. Result (1) must be used in primary and secondary schools by teachers and pupils. There will be a high level of involving schools in developing the sustainable cooking education material. Result (2) must be used to inspire chef students and existing restaurant owners to implement more sustainable actions in the kitchen. There will be a high level of involving VET educations and restaurants in developing the sustainable guide.