One Health

We teach that personal health is inseparably linked to the health of animals and wider ecoysystems. To take responsibility means to actively acknowledge and protect this triad of human, animal, and environmental wellbeing. Our goal is to help students understand that the health of the biosphere forms the foundation of sustasinable human development.

In practice, this means thinking across disciplines. We explore connections that cross subject boundaries: How does the way we farm affect animal health, environmental quality – and in turn, our own wellbeing? By integrating biology, ecology, ethics, and the social sciences, we aim to foster a comprehensive understanding of complex systems of which our school community is just a part.

We embrace a circular approach to resource use—from production to consumption—by closely tracing the journey of our food from farm to fork. Our aim is to promote sustainable food production, reduce our ecological footprint, and preserve resources for future generations.

Through organic certification, we have taken the first step in a far-reaching transformation. Our menus now promise more organic, seasonal, and regional produce, while meat will be served more consciously and less frequently.

This development is also pedagogically significant: students are actively involved, learning not only what healthy eating means, but also how food production affects the environment and climate. The student-founded Food Council plays a central role in this process, contributing ideas for new dishes and working closely with the kitchen team to explore how healthy and sustainable eating can be put into practice in a large-scale kitchen.

In addition, the school garden in the grounds of Schloss Salem offers direct, hands-on experience of what it takes to grow food. This also encourages an understanding of natural cycles that support the cultivation process. In this way, we combine awareness of personal health with responsibility for people, animals, and the wider environment.