On the final episode of WWF-Philippines' Savour Planet Webinar Series last May 28, 2021, we talked about the The Sustainable Diner Project’s accomplished and ongoing policy works and studies including the various Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns and materials produced and where to access them. We also had a brief recap of what we have learned in the all four Savour Planet episodes.

These are the essential ingredients to cook our way to being sustainable diners:

• Intensive research and plan of actions in sustainable consumption and production

WWF-Philippines’ The Sustainable Diner Project team conducted a series of research and studies to serve as the basis of policy recommendations and implementation strategies. Work began on intensive research and on a plan of action to introduce sustainable dining in the Philippines during the project’s inception in 2017 - the first of its kind in the country.

• Policy recommendations in the local and national government

The Sustainable Diner project was able to support the development of a local ordinance in Cebu City focused on food waste reduction. A similar ordinance is also underway in Quezon City. These two cities are part of key target locations of the project. These milestones will hopefully be replicated and adopted by other cities to reduce and divert their own food waste.

• Integration of sustainability practices in the food service establishment

Cost-benefit analysis is a monitoring tool developed by the project designed for restaurants that computes for operational expenses and possible savings should certain sustainability practices be incorporated into business operations. The tool includes an instructional manual and video, which walks you through the process of determining the costs and benefits of SCP practices. It will be available soon in July 2021.

• Participatory IEC advocacy, activities and strategy for the project stakeholders

Through events, training, workshops and advocacy campaigns, the project team, together with its stakeholders, was able to share their knowledge and learn from each other. Different IEC materials on sustainable consumption and production were developed to be used for free and for public use. These materials were specifically designed in the context of sustainable dining in the Philippines for Filipinos.