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One-third of Brussels fruit and veg should be locally grown, says environment minister

01:19 10/03/2016

By 2035, one-third of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the Brussels-Capital Region should come from the city and its surrounding area, announced environment minister Cline Fremault. The minister is looking to farmers in the Flemish periphery, temporary gardens and possibly even additional farmland to help the Region reach the ambitious goal, writes Brusselnieuws.

Fremault estimates that residents of the Brussels-Capital Region consume an average of 104,640 tonnes of fruit and veg annually, only 1% of which is currently produced within or around the Region. She is therefore urging for 30% of the unprocessed fruit and vegetables consumed in Brussels to be locally produced within 20 years.

In addition to Fremault's long-term plan, she also recently announced a 'Good Food' strategy for the period 2016-2021. The aim is to lower the amount of food waste in the Region by 30% by 2020. To this end, the minister has launched several initiatives, such as a special doggy bag to be used at participating restaurants across Brussels, and a Good Food label for Brussels canteens that produce less waste, use more local and seasonal produce and offer more vegetarian dishes.


photo: potage-toit.be

Written by Robyn Boyle