LCSS 2020 Summary
The 9th International Summer School on ‘Life cycle Approaches to Sustainable Regional Development’ was a successful on-line event that brought together 30 professional participants with a group of 17 recognised experts to discuss the sustainability issues surrounding bio-economy and the food cycle, and in particular to study effective methodologies for addressing these issues (the ‘toolbox’). The programme included an extensive overview of relevant life cycle assessment techniques as well as of selected life cycle management approaches that various foodchain stakeholders could use in a concerted approach to reduce unwanted impacts. Central to the interactive programme was a student project to elaborate examples of a sustainable school lunch menu that combines adequate nutritional content with a parallel high performance on a wide range of sustainable development goals (SDGs). An assessment of the sustainability of the menus was a core requirement of the project. In view of the quality of many of the proposed menus, the summer school organizers offered students the option to provide a summary of their menus. 10 students have submitted menu summaries, based on which we have created the LCSS 2020 Report & Recipe Book which is accessible below. All 16 submitted menus and menu plans have been made available on this page after the summary in the hope that they could serve as inspiration to regional and municipal authorities to undertake a review of their own procedures for selecting food services.