Test runs launched: Regional beef on canteen plates in Brandenburg and Berlin

The WertWeideVerbund research project at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is fulfilling consumers' wishes and promoting sustainable agriculture. The result can be experienced in culinary terms during test runs in various canteens this week.

More and more consumers want regional and species-appropriate meat. Grazing cattle fulfils this desire and is widespread in Brandenburg. "However, most of the offspring from suckler cow husbandry is marketed beyond the state's borders. There is a lack of suitable slaughtering and processing structures in Brandenburg for the development of regional value chains," observes Prof Dr Anna Häring, project manager at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE).
The WertWeideVerbund project is looking for solutions together with partners from agriculture, slaughtering, processing, trade and community catering. The aim is to establish new collaborations that promote sustainable agriculture. "We want to create regional solutions: A cow that is born, raised, slaughtered and processed in Brandenburg," explains Sebastian Kühn, Managing Director of EFG Eberswalder Fleisch GmbH.
The first five-day test run is taking place this week. Four animals are to be slaughtered. Their meat will be processed regionally and delivered to the canteens of four large companies in Berlin and Brandenburg. "The canteens have agreed who will take which parts of the cattle in order to utilise the whole animal in the end," explains Anna Häring. A second test run will begin on 13 June and end on 17 June 2022.
The scientists at HNEE and the Centre for Technology and Society at TU Berlin are monitoring and evaluating the two campaign weeks. "We want to know whether the process from the farm to the kitchens works well and how the pasture-raised beef is received by the canteen guests," says the project manager. The aim is to optimise the newly created cooperation in such a way that even more stakeholders participate and the Weiderindfleisch value-added network becomes permanent after the end of the project. "This will make it easier for consumers to consume regional beef from species-appropriate grazing in the future and promote more sustainable agriculture in Brandenburg," says Sebastian Kühn.

More information about the project
The WertWeideVerbund project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the "WIR! Change through innovation in the region" programme.
Project duration: 02/2021 - 07/2023

Project partners
The canteens of the following companies are involved: PCK Raffinerie GmbH in Schwedt, GLG Krankenhaus Angermünde, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy in Berlin, as well as 6 canteens of ministries and research institutions in Berlin and Potsdam through the catering company Widynski & Roick GmbH.

Cooperation partners
Centre for Technology and Society at the Technical University of Berlin, EFG Eberswalder Fleisch GmbH