The Local Food Challenge challenges students to develop a market-ready food product using raw materials and side streams from Wädenswil farmers—particularly those that are currently underutilized or not locally processed. From the underestimated fava bean to surplus apples, students are encouraged to unleash their creativity and develop a product that tastes great and has local market potential.

Tackling Real-World Challenges in the Food Transition

The Wädenswil food system faces the challenge of transitioning towards greater locality and sustainability. How can more products be marketed locally? And how can new sales channels for innovative food products be created? So far, there are only a few processed products made from local raw materials—most are sold in their unprocessed form, which reduces their market value.

Through the Local Food Challenge, students work in transdisciplinary teams to explore the potential of Wädenswil’s raw materials for processed foods. Even by-products, which are often used as animal feed or end up as food waste, are to be repurposed as raw materials for edible products. This helps close resource loops and increase economic value.

Process

At the beginning of the Local Food Challenge, students from ZHAW and food technologists from Strickhof gather for a two-day hackathon. Local farmers present their available raw materials, and teams develop initial ideas, which they pitch to a jury on the second day.

Throughout the semester, the teams refine their ideas, consult with experts, and actively work in the kitchen to bring their concepts to life. In December, the final products will be sold for tasting at the ZHAW Christmas market—so make sure to mark this event in your calendar!

Challenge-Based Learning in Focus

The challenges of the working world are becoming increasingly complex. Multiple and interwoven crises, such as climate change, and global social inequalities, influence the job market and demand creative approaches, flexibility, and strong teamwork skills. However, education is still too often focused on individual disciplines and detached from real-world practice.

With the Local Food Challenge, we are testing an innovative learning format in which students work on real-world problems and develop solutions without a predetermined outcome. The concept of challenge-based learning is based on students independently tackling a challenge in groups and implementing their proposed solutions in practice.

Throughout the process, learning coaches and experts from various fields support the teams. For example, an environmental accounting expert can provide insights into the ecological sustainability of product ideas, while additional specialists are available for topics such as sensory analysis, marketing, food law, and finance.

Learning Goals: What Students Gain

The goal of this learning format is to provide students with a space where they can:

• Develop transdisciplinary teamwork skills
• Apply systems thinking
• Explore creative problem-solving approaches
• Gain experience in project management
• Acquire a holistic perspective on the food system—from production to consumption and waste management