eCooking for Institutions
We are delighted to invite you to the 5th session of the Talk Series – Phase III on Transitioning to Modern Energy for Cooking: eCooking for Institutions. The session would be conducted in virtual mode and is being organized by the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme, through its In-country partner – India, Finovista in partnership with Women in Modern Energy Cooking (WMEC) and Indian Federation of Culinary Association with the aims to identify, discuss and explore avenues to address the specific challenges in the transition to clean cooking.
Cooking is an essential human activity and is regularly performed at households and at institutional level as well. The cooking activity has a large share in the daily consumption of energy in a household. While all of us are well aware of the domestic cooking, in case of institutional cooking, a large centralized kitchen is used for preparation of food for the beneficiaries living in hostels, orphanages, prisons, as well as in hospital, industries, hotels, railway canteens etc. In general, these kitchens use fossils fuels as cooking purpose. In the Indian context, cooking for the mid-day meal for the school children is another potential and focus area for transition to cleaner energy for cooking.
In recent years, the culinary landscape has witnessed a significant transformation with the advent of new technologies. One such innovation is eCooking which introduces a level of precision and efficiency that traditional cooking methods may struggle to match. In addition, the eCooking process offers a myriad of benefits for preparing food in large institutions such as schools, hospitals, and large-scale cafeterias. With programmable appliances and smart cooking devices, institutions can streamline their cooking processes, ensuring consistent quality and proportion control. For instance, automated cooking systems can precisely regulate temperature, cooking times, and ingredient quantities, leading to a more predictable and efficient kitchen operation.
The role of eCooking in institutional settings is evolving rapidly, ushering in a new era of efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced culinary experiences. As technological advancements continue, institutions that embrace eCooking are likely to stay at the forefront of the culinary landscape, delivering high-quality meals while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs. eCooking doesn’t just improve the efficiency and sustainability of institutional kitchens; it also has a positive impact on the culinary experiences provided to end-users. Institutions can also leverage digital platforms to enhance menu customization, accommodate dietary preferences, and offer a diverse range of dishes. However, the adoption of eCooking at institutional level is not without its own challenges. Cooking in large scale requires a significant energy load not just during the actual cooking process, but also while preparing, storing, and even distributing the cooked food. The cost and reliability of energy is thus critical to the upscaling of eCooking operations.
The discussions during the talk session is expected to be centered around current challenges being faced in institutional cooking using traditional fuels and the likely benefits in its transition to eCooking in terms of far-reaching climate, health, cost and time benefits. The experts panel may also explore and suggest suitable policy framework and other government initiatives to promote eCooking in institutions and how application of clean cooking solutions in institutions can play a crucial role in improving overall wellbeing of the people. The technological challenges related to design and manufacture of energy efficient large capacity eCooking devices could be another area focus in the discussion.
MECS Programme is a UK Aid (FCDO) funded global research programme led by Loughborough University and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). MECS is implementing a strategy focused on including the cooking needs of households in the investment and action on ‘access to affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy for all’. The programme is also supporting India to emerge as a Global Hub for manufacturing clean cooking devices for domestic and international markets, aligned to the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India mission and also with the objectives of the GoElectric and LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign launched by the Government of India.
The Talk Series, now in Phase III has evolved into an important global platform for promoting the adoption of modern energy for cooking. It has been successful in uniting several stakeholders from the clean cooking domain and related sectors to engage in discussions on the challenges, emerging opportunities, and policy support needed for developing ecosystem of the Modern Energy-based Clean Cooking Sector in India. The Talk series is thoughtfully structured in phases, with each phase consisting of 12 sessions. After successful completion of Phase I & II Talk Series which comprised of 24 sessions altogether, the Phase III of the Talk Series has been launched.