Peer reviewed / Manuscript (original) submitted: 26 August 2025; revision accepted: 26 February 2026
Introduction
The food system is one of the key anthropogenic factors influencing ecological, social, and health systems, having both positive and negative effects [1]. Projections indicate that the negative impacts will continue to intensify by the year 2050 unless far-reaching structural transformations are implemented [2]. Against this background, the transition to sustainable dietary patterns is considered a key strategy for mitigating this trend [2–4]. An essential component of this food system transformation is the sustainable design of institutional catering [2]. In addition, other transformation approaches include, among other things, the promotion of innovations and educational measures, the strengthening of regional value chains, the use of economic policy instruments such as taxes and subsidies, as well as so-called “exnovation”, understood as the targeted dismantling of existing structures that hinder transformation [2].
Institutional catering, particularly in childcare centers, offers significant potential for intervention. In Germany, approximately 16 million people eat meals provided by institutional food service every day, including about six million children [5]. Approximately 3.9 million children currently attend a childcare center [6]. Early childhood is considered a formative phase for long-term eating habits [7], suggesting that childcare centers play a significant role in dietary transformation. …
Abstract
The food system plays a significant role in pushing the planet beyond its carrying capacity. Sustainable food systems can mitigate the negative impacts of global climate and environmental change while simultaneously promoting positive effects on dietary patterns and health. Childcare centers represent a key starting point for sustainable dietary transformations, due to their reach and their importance for early childhood dietary socialization. This qualitative study aimed to analyze decision-
making processes as well as resource- and structure-related factors influencing the implementation of sustainable food services in childcare centers. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured expert interviews with individuals primarily responsible for menu planning, organization, and implementation of food services, supplemented by a ego-centered network analysis to map relevant stakeholder constellations and support structures. The results show that food service
decisions are predominantly coordinated by facility management and implemented through a recurring three-step process. Key barriers include a lack of time, personnel, and financial resources, as well as in the limited practical applicability or lack of concrete implementation of existing guidelines. The study makes it clear that sustainable food service in childcare centers fails less due to a lack of motivation than because of structural constraints, and underscores the need for practical, binding,
and resource-backed political and institutional support structures.
