Transforming food systems in tourism: TUI Care Foundation and UN Tourism launch ‘Tourism Food for Good’
- New global initiative brings together TUI Care Foundation, UN Tourism and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD)
- Two-year action-research project will strengthen local food economies, promote circular practices in the tourism sector and tackle food waste
- Key outputs include a 2040 Impact Roadmap and a pilot programme to test real-life solutions in Cape Verde
The announcement took place during a high-level event organised within the framework of the Tourism for Development Fund, a platform led by TUI Care Foundation with support from UN Tourism. The Tourism for Development Fund mobilises strategic partnerships and investments to unlock tourism’s potential as a driver of inclusive and sustainable development.
‘Food for Good’ brings together policymakers, academics, businesses, civil society and local communities to redesign how food is produced, sourced, served and reused in tourism destinations. It tackles development imperatives and the urgent humanitarian challenge of food insecurity by promoting policy change and solutions that minimise food loss and waste, enhance the redistribution of surpluses, and valorise by-products within circular value chains.
The initiative will develop the 2040 Impact Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems in Tourism, a framework to identify leverage points for transformation. It builds on UN Tourism’s Global Roadmap for Food Waste Reduction in Tourism, developed with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and is made possible through the TUI Care Foundation’s global Field to Fork programme, which supports farming communities to transition to sustainable and regenerative practices which maintain biodiversity and produce local cultural delicacies. The TUI Field to Fork programme helps to create new income opportunities for farmers and local producers and enables them to build resilience and create short supply chains with the local tourism sector.
“Tourism connects people and places – and food is a key element of this connection. With our Tourism Food for Good initiative, we want to unlock the sector’s potential to promote local agriculture, reduce food waste and support circular food systems. We’re working to reduce food waste to a minimum. Food management is the future: intelligent planning, efficient, data driven and sustainable. The initiative will not only create a roadmap for the future but also test real solutions on the ground.”
Governments, businesses and civil-society organisations are invited to partner in Tourism Food for Good to co-design the 2040 Impact Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems in Tourism and host pilots at destination or business level. The first pilot is expected to take place in Cape Verde, a destination where the TUI Care Foundation is already present, not only with vocational education and marine protection programmes, but also with practical sustainable food solutions such as hydroponic technology, which is supported through multiple TUI Field to Fork projects in Cape Verde.
About the TUI Care Foundation
Building on the potential of tourism as a force for good, the TUI Care Foundation supports and initiates projects which create new opportunities and contribute to thriving communities in tourism destinations all over the world. Connecting holidaymakers to good causes, it supports education and training opportunities for young people; drives the protection of natural habitats and the marine environment; and helps local communities to thrive sustainably and benefit from tourism. The TUI Care Foundation builds on strong partnerships with local and international organisations to create meaningful and long-lasting impact. The independent charitable organisation was founded by TUI, one of the world's leading tourism businesses, and is based in the Netherlands. Website: www.tuicarefoundation.com
About UN Tourism
UN Tourism (World Tourism Organization) is the United Nations specialised agency responsible for promoting responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. As the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability, and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
Website: www.untourism.int
About the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD), University of Cambridge
The Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) is an international research centre at the University of Cambridge. It advances action-research in social science to institutionalise good governance, sustainable investment, and responsible innovation in resilient and sustainable systems. Through systems thinking, collective intelligence and stakeholder engagement, CRSD co-creates innovative solutions to complex global challenges, contributing to sustainable, equitable and resilient futures.
Website: https://www.landecon.cam.ac.uk/page/food-good-co-creating-sustainable-food-systems-solutions-tourism
