The Levers

For each of the levers, we determined who within food service companies is responsible for driving change and implementing the actions. This includes teams responsible for sustainability, marketing, procurement, menu management, front of house, as well as senior leaders.

We considered the challenges companies may face when trying to implement recommended actions.  Potential issues included leadership communications, data collection, costs associated with new training programmes, the need for cultural sensitivity when promoting dietary change, adapting global targets to local settings, and more. We covered tips and guidance on how best to overcome such challenges.

The report also details how the levers can work together and approaches to the sequencing of actions to achieve change. We recommended that:

• Embedding the foundational enablers across every level of the business is a key first step
• Addressing multiple levers simultaneously will bring the strongest results
• Operational context is key to successful implementation
• Sectoral collaboration and transparency can accelerate the pace of change.

Our work was based on 3Keel’s deep expertise and sectoral knowledge around food systems sustainability. It tapped into academic and industry research. We also conducted interviews with key foodservice stakeholders to ground-truth our approach and provide case studies. Throughout the process, we worked closely with colleagues at both WWF and Sodexo to co-author a final output that meets the aims of the collaboration.

The outputs

The final report, ‘Sustainable eating: Pulling the levers in food service’ sets out a practical framework to think through actions that will support the food service sector to put sustainable meals at the heart of operations. This could be achieved through internal environmental targets, staff training and engagement, embedding nutrition and sustainability criteria into client and supplier contracts. It could involve a greater focus on enabling and encouraging as many customers as possible to make healthier and more sustainable choices.

In addition to the report, WWF held a webinar, showcasing the report to a range of stakeholders across the food sector. Julian Cottee presented 3Keel’s work, alongside Lisa Huggins, Food Service Sustainable Diets Manager at WWF UK, and Lloyd Mann, Sodexo Global Executive Chef and Culinary Vice President.

The report continues to inform WWF’s work in partnership with Sodexo, and its engagement with the food service sector on sustainable diets.