Armed Forces: More money for regional food

2024-01-03 06:01:30

Daily allowance will be increased from 5 to 6.50 euros in the future

Vienna (OTS) – The Austrian Armed Forces will receive more money for seasonal and regional food in the future. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner has announced an increase in the so-called daily allowance from the original 5 to 6.50 euros.

“With the planned increase in the daily meal allowance, the Armed Forces will have more financial resources available in the future to be able to implement the goal of offering even more regional and seasonal food directly on the plate. More money in food also means added value for our employees, soldiers and militia. In this way, we will continue to ensure that more regional and seasonal food ends up on the barracks tables in the future,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.

There are 90 catering facilities in the Federal Army across Austria that cater to soldiers and civilian employees. In the past, the Ministry of Defense increased the daily meal allowance from four to five euros in order to ensure more regional and seasonality in the barracks kitchens. “By focusing on regional food, we are not only focusing on better taste, but also on measures for our climate – shorter transport routes protect the environment,” continued Tanner.

The Austrian Armed Forces have also been focusing more on regionality, sustainability and quality in the troop kitchens with the “Climate Plate” project since 2021 and with its implementation – through the preferred processing of regional, seasonal and the preferred processing of organic foods. The Federal Army implemented the “Climate Plate in the ÖBH” as a pilot project in all catering facilities nationwide. This meant that in 2022, around 20 percent of the total 2.4 million lunches could be served as climate-friendly menus, which corresponds to around 500,000 lunches. Since 2023, the climate plate has been offered as a daily lunch menu. The Army distributes an average of 20,000 portions every week.