Operationalising sustainability in professional kitchens: The interplay of chef competencies, environmental values and human resource management strategies

Food waste reduction and lowering greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) of diets are key focus areas of the food systems transition. Inspired by the ecological systems theory, this exploratory study assesses how chefs' competencies, environmental values, human resource management (HRM) practices interact in a microsystem to reduce food waste and GHGE of food offers. A participant selection framework was developed to explore four perspectives: kitchen, sustainability, industry support and catering education. Twenty-three stakeholders, 9 (39%) chefs, 6 (26%) industry stakeholders, 5 (22%) chef educators and 3 (13%) sustainability professionals in the sector were interviewed. While the study set out to examine the role of HRM in shaping environmental kitchen practices, the findings suggest that HRM does not directly influence behaviours related to food waste and GHGE reduction. Instead, kitchen leadership, as part of the microsystem, where daily interactions and operational decisions occur, emerges as a potentially more influential factor. Within this immediate environment, daily interactions and skill application, such as culinary techniques, product knowledge, logistics, creativity, and innovation, play a central role in shaping sustainable practices. These competencies not only support operational efficiency but also foster entrepreneurial thinking. While broader societal discourse reflects a macrosystem shift in environmental attitudes, the study stresses the need to translate this awareness into applied skills within the microsystem, where behaviour change is most effectively enacted. • Chefs drive food waste and GHGE cuts via menu design and leadership. • Skills like logistics, creativity, and food knowledge are key. • HRM rarely supports environmental goals in kitchens. • Environmental attitudes are rising, but skills are lagging. • Menu planning is a powerful tool for sustainability