Mim, Fipe and Confcommercio join forces on nutrition education and training

To promote food education from school age onwards as a safeguard for health, sustainability and the preservation of the country’s historical and cultural values, and to build a bridge between the education system and the catering sector. A practical approach to equipping young people with the fundamentals of healthy eating, as well as the professional and managerial skills required by a sector that is strategic for the Italian economy and identity. These are the objectives of the three-year memorandum of understanding signed in Rome, at the MIM headquarters, between Minister Giuseppe Valditara and the President of Fipe-Confcommercio, Lino Enrico Stoppani

The document aims to raise young people’s awareness of the importance of a healthy diet, whilst also promoting school canteens as genuine educational settings. Alongside promoting health, the agreement aims to reduce the mismatch between labour supply and demand by strengthening school-to-work training programmes and guiding students towards the ITS Academy system.

Field activities will include hands-on educational workshops, company visits, entrepreneurship training modules, first-hand accounts from practitioners, and the production of joint information materials, such as videos, leaflets and communication campaigns.

To support these initiatives, Fipe will draw on its network of regional associations and the expertise of the Higher Education Schools Group, which was established within the Federation in 2024 to foster collaboration amongst the key players in catering training.

“We would like to thank Minister Valditara for the sensitivity he has shown towards the value of Italian cuisine, which is not only an economic pillar but also a cultural heritage that defines our identity, rooted in the historical memory of our regions and recognised by UNESCO,” said Stoppani.