Karlsruhe nutrition summit celebrates its premiere

Kick-off for a new culture of togetherness in the food transition

03.11.2025 - In September 2025, the first "Karlsruhe Food Summit" took place in Karlsruhe - a meeting and working session for all those who want to contribute to a healthy, fair and sustainable food culture in the city. Around 50 invited participants from civil society, business, science and the city administration came together in the city's Karlskantine restaurant to consider together how sustainable nutrition can be shaped in Karlsruhe.

Teilnehmer eines Workshops sitzen an Tischen in hellem Seminarraum mit großem Fenster.

Environmental Mayor Bettina Lisbach welcomed the guests. In her welcoming address, she emphasized the city's responsibility for a healthy and climate-friendly food policy. She also emphasized that Karlsruhe already has many committed people in the community catering sector - from canteens to educational institutions - who are driving this change forward in practice.

The hosts Sandra Schmidt (KA.Wert), Indah Siemon (Environmental and Occupational Safety Office of the City of Karlsruhe), Pia Laborgne, Eva Wendeberg and Wanda Wieczorek (Karlsruhe Transformation Center) as well as Romy Marquart (lokalprojekte) looked back on the joint preparation of the summit: They had deliberately taken the time to build trust and develop a genuine cooperation between administration and civil society - a process that was clearly reflected in the open and constructive spirit of the event.

Bettina Lisbach hält Vortrag mit Mikrofon vor Publikum, Wandpräsentation im Hintergrund sichtbar.

Impulses from Sweden and the region

A particular highlight was the presentation by Dr. Rebecka Milestad from the Swedish Defense Research Agency. She gave an impressive demonstration of how responsibility for sustainable nutrition is anchored politically and administratively in the Swedish municipality of Södertälje and the challenges that municipalities there have to deal with. Milestad's insights made it clear that a local food policy can only succeed if all levels, from administration to producers and consumers, work together in a network.

Personen sehen an einer Wand eine Videokonferenz mit mehreren Teilnehmern, rechts Fenster.

Zwei Personen halten eine hybride Präsentation vor Publikum und Video-Teilnehmern im modernen Raum.

Podiumsdiskussion mit mehreren Teilnehmern und Zuhörern in einem modernen Raum.

In the subsequent panel discussion, representatives of the Freiburg Food Council, the University of Freiburg, the Karlskantine and the Karlsruhe city administration discussed how regional food can be better used in communal catering and what political and structural framework conditions are necessary for this.

Exchange at themed tables

The participants then moved on to various themed tables. Here they worked on key issues relating to the food transition:

  • Food cycles
  • Communal catering in canteens
  • Communal catering in educational institutions
  • Food justice
  • Regional production & marketing

Mehrere Personen sitzen an einem Tisch und diskutieren bei einem Workshop oder Meeting.

Tafel mit Skizze zur Lebensmittelkreislauf-Optimierung und zahlreichen farbigen Haftnotizen.

Teilnehmer einer Workshop-Runde betrachten und diskutieren Ergebnisse an Pinnwänden im Seminarraum.

Challenges were identified, synergies discovered and concrete ideas formulated in intensive and collegial discussions. It became particularly clear how important mutual understanding, transparency and personal encounters are: Many participants met here for the first time and numerous new contacts were made.

Breaking down barriers while eating together

Of course, the food itself also played a key role at the event. The kitchen team at the Karlskantine deliberately chose a plant-based and bioregional menu for the summit: a culinary statement for the future of communal catering. The relaxed atmosphere during the communal meal played a key role in further breaking down barriers between administration, businesses and civil society.

Mehrere Personen im Gespräch bei einer Veranstaltung in hellem, modernem Raum.

Karten und Steckbriefe hängen an einer Wäscheleine vor Fenster mit Stadtblick.

Buffet mit verschiedenen Desserts und Vorspeisen in Gläsern auf einem langen Tisch am Fenster.

Outlook: Next food summit in spring 2026

The first Karlsruhe Food Summit was a great success. It showed how much power lies in an honest, open exchange of ideas and how networking and trust can lead to a concrete future. A sequel in spring 2026 is already being planned.

Gruppenfoto von Teilnehmenden des Ernährungsgipfels in Karlsruhe.

Organizer