Food meets sustainability at ADE Green

Roskilde's Mikkel Sander, Dionne van Zijl of Youth Food Movement and Dede Flemming of Lightning in a Bottle share their experience of working with sustainable food strategies and what they have learned along the way.

Tickets for ADE Green (€25,-) are available here (also accessible for 1- & 5- day conference ticket holders).Food and festivalsFood…we all love it, and we all need it, and as you’ll see at this year’s ADE Green, music festivals are leading the way in proving that we don’t have to mash-up the planet to produce it. Co-curator of the panel ‘Beyond Organic, What Is Good Festival Food?’ Laura van de Voort of Green Events Nederland, explains. “With 9,6 billion people living on our planet in 2050 the food supplies need to increase enormously while the sources are decreasing. Also diseases like obesity and the environmental impact of producing food - 20-25% of greenhouse gasses are caused by it - are big issues that need to be discussed. To tackle this issue in the heart of one of the most popular industries - the dance industry - is a good step towards greater awareness and hopefully resulting in behavioural change.”

But now it’s about persuading festival organisers to serve food in a sustainable way, look at their processes and share with them the lessons learned to make implementation easier.“Festivals have a unique opportunity to communicate directly with their visitors and food is a perfect way to do that. And of course, good food can also contribute to the overall festival experience. And festival visitors are ready. The extra love and fewer pesticides give every meal a better taste. Even hamburgers and fries can be organic and locally produced.”Roskilde Festival’s work with sustainabilityADE Green keynoter in the form of Roskilde Festival’s food strategist Mikkel Sander (DK) is responsible for Roskilde Festival’s work with sustainability. The F&B (food and beverage) strategy plays a major role in that, because many of the goals on F&B are closely connected to environmental issues like the conversion to organic of the festival’s food. “My role is to drive that work forward, keep everyone focused on the target ahead, secure management backup, inspire the team with new ideas and be a resourceful helper to the many volunteers who are doing the hard work.”  “Attending Roskilde is a special experience because of the unique combination of a crowd of 135.000 people, over 32,000 volunteers, the peaceful, youthful and loving atmosphere, the openness towards others, the escapism, and the curiosity to explore the unknown, whether it’s music, other people, or your own identity. And the great food of course! On top of that, Roskilde Festival has been a non-profit organisation since 1972, and all profits are donated to charity after each festival. This year that amounted to 3,5 million euros. So taking a responsibility for the world we share is part of Roskilde’s DNA. And since environmental problems are our biggest global challenge, it’s natural for us to take a stand. Actually it should be for any company, person or event – non-profit or commercial. But of course the long tradition of taking the green agenda seriously in Denmark helps us because it’s easier for the participants to understand its importance, and it’s easier to find relevant partners to undertake projects with.”Sustainable food strategyThe 'Beyond Organic, What Is Good Festival Food?' panel features Mikkel Sander (DK), Dionne van Zijl (NL) of the Youth Food Movement and Dede Flemming (US) of Lightning in a Bottle, discussing their experience of working with a sustainable food strategy, as well as the lessons learned, and which types of changes can have the greatest impact.About ADE GreenThe ADE Green conference is an one-day symposium for anyone who wants to know more about sustainability, innovation and social change across the entertainment industry. The event features an afternoon packed with interactive panels, inspiring speakers, debates and workshops.Date: Wednesday October 14Venue: De Brakke GrondTickets for ADE Green (€25,-) are available here (also accessible for 1- & 5- day conference ticket holders).Read more:- ADE Green hosts activists keynoters- Festivals and events are mini-civilisations, spaces for experimentation and inspiration- ADE Green teams up with Open House