Schools in Prague will teach pupils how to reduce food waste

The Czech capital claims that the Smart Food project is the first of its kind in the EU

On 16 February, the City of Prague presented a new project that aims to teach primary school pupils how to reduce food waste. Titled ‘Smart Food’, the programme is the first of its kind not only in Czechia but in the European Union.

In a press release, the Deputy Mayor of Prague Petr Hlubuček commented on the need to improve citizens’ knowledge of food waste, noting that research by Brno’s Mendel University has found that the average person in Brno throws away around 33 kilos of food every year. 

Hlubuček went further, noting that waste prevention is one of the capital’s key priorities and that it cannot achieve it without educating the younger generations.

Modern learning methods

To teach a modern subject, Prague’s primary schools will employ modern learning methods and materials. More specifically, interactive materials will be available on Futurebooks: a new multimedia platform developed by the Faculty of Education at Charles University. Expanding on this, the co-author of Smart Food and the Futurebooks portal Igor Červený stated:

“Interactive learning media will include, in addition to texts and supporting multimedia such as photographs, animations, and videos, elements that will keep pupils interested in the curriculum. Publications will not only serve to passively relay information but on the contrary, will actively involve students in the learning process through teaching, tasks, exercises, interactive graphs and animations.”

The Smart Food education programme will cover all areas relating to food waste, from purchasing and processing to storing and consuming. In this way, the capital hopes to change children’s patterns and help them – and in turn, their families – make more environmentally friendly decisions. 

The materials for the project will be developed by the end of 2022. They will then be distributed to 5 primary schools which will test the programme in 2023. The creators of the Smart Food project hope to expand the project to all of Czechia’s primary schools in the future if the pilot proves successful.