Café left in Freising: Savior of food and social meeting point!

Café left in Freising: Savior of food and social meeting point!

In the heart of Freising, the café left, founded at the end of 2020 by Caro Stanzl and twelve other members of the association, launched an innovative solution to food waste. The café offers a selection of dishes and cakes that are prepared from saved foods. The makers not only want to serve delicious dishes, but also raise awareness of the widespread problem of food waste, such as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

After a successful test run in the "Spot Shop", the team started a crowdfunding to secure their own rooms for their concept. They were able to collect a total of 12,000 euros, but due to bureaucratic hurdles it only came to the opening of the café in January 2023. In the meantime, the association has almost 200 members, including around 25 active volunteers who support the café. The furnishings are cozy and colorful, with many pieces of furniture being donated by members.

a place for everyone

The café attracts a wide audience: whether students, passers -by or even homeless people - everyone finds their place here. It is surprising for many guests that it is not a regular café. The focus is on a fair divider who offers donated food for taking away. In addition, guests can donate for food and their own beverage costs themselves, which contributes to a solidarity and communicative atmosphere.

The café left has already received attention from television stations and national media. It was awarded the Tassilo Social Award of the Süddeutsche Zeitung and nominated for the Bavarian Climate Protection Award. In addition to the culinary offer, educational and cultural events take place in the café that promote sustainable use of food. Workshops and school projects for awareness of food waste are also part of the program.

a larger context

The initiative of the café fits into the larger framework of the food sharing movement. The foodsharing academy as well as various local projects aim to increase awareness of food waste in social-ecological and climate policy context. The academy paused in early 2024 due to personnel and organizational challenges, but used the time to develop project applications that have now been approved. This will make the academy able to do qualified educational work and train multipliers.

The academy projects extend over different formats: from a multilingual hiking exhibition to cooking workshops for people in precarious conditions to the further training of multipliers in the food sharing movement. The objective provides for halving the food losses by 2030 and thus making an active contribution to climate protection. Food waste would be, as a separate country, the third largest air conditioning producer to China and the USA.

The café left and the initiatives of the Foodsharing Academy are exemplary for the growing awareness that develops the society for sustainable resource conservation and the problem of food waste. In the sense of a sustainable future, the aim is to bring about social changes through education and education without raised index finger. These movements are important steps on the way to a responsible nutrition and more conscious use of food.