In the canteen, Montpellier students are not entitled to the same quantity of organic food

A l'heure du repas, dans une école de Montpellier. ML – Jean-Michel Mart

L’association "Une école, un avenir" dénonce une inégalité. La Ville lui répond.

Do Montpellier schoolchildren eat organic? Yes, but not all are in the same boat, estimates the association ’A school a future". This was expressed through a press release published on February 6, the day this topic was discussed at the municipal council.

"27 schools in Montpellier (out of 116) have meals prepared and delivered by the SHCB company, based in Béziers, and not by the central kitchen, deplores the association. These meals contain only 20% organic, the legal minimum allowed."

"For at least six years, the quality of meals there has been lower than for all the other schools in Montpellier which are served by the central kitchen." This contradicts according to her the objectives stated by the City: "60% organic and local in 2023, 75% in 2024 and 100% in 2026."

The association also regrets price changes which saw the price of some of these "lower quality meals increase from 4.65 to 6.55 €.& quot;

"One school, one future" claims to have alerted the City and proposes solutions: "modify the service provider's specifications to align with the mayor's promises, alternate the schools concerned or even compensate for this inequality with a price reduction.&quot ;

Following "the lack of response from the mayor", the association posted its message in the schools concerned, "in order to inform families. We will also contact the representative of the Hérault rights defender."

“100% organic meals for everyone in 2028”

"We have increased the share of organic and local products in school meals thanks to direct management, explains Marie Massart, deputy mayor responsible for food policy and urban agriculture. We are serving nearly 16,000 meals per day, but the central kitchen can only produce 9,000. In 2028, the future Food City (which will replace the obsolete central kitchen) will make it possible to provide 16,000 100% organic meals per day. Until then, we use a service provider who follows the specifications imposed by law."

As for pricing, "the price has increased for a third of families but it has fallen for two-thirds, underlines the elected official. Families pay between 0.50 and 6.45 € per meal, according to their means, while the cost of a meal is 12 € per child for the City. This represents an enormous effort for the community, which increases the budget devoted to meals each year, but not its revenues."

During the municipal council of February 6, the City recalled that SHBC had increased its costs due to the economic context which had resulted in an increase in salaries, prices of raw materials and energy. This resulted in an additional cost of 154,971 € for the City. This compensation was voted by the council, for the first half of 2024.

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