/sdg-2-zero-hunger-2-2-interventions-to-students-and-staff-hunger - Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger - 2.2. Interventions to students and staff hunger
Last modified: 20. November 2025
2.2. Interventions to students and staff hunger
Canteens and restaurants
MATE takes active measures to prevent or reduce hunger among students and staff, including providing access to food banks and pantries, and by summarizing the available options and making them publicly accessible. The university also provides overviews of the dining facilities on its campuses, such as restaurants and canteens.
At the Budai Campus, students can find details about nearby restaurants and canteens here (in Hungarian):
Széchenyi Recreation card (SZÉP) acceptance on campuses
At MATE, campus dining facilities, including the various restaurants and canteens, aim to provide convenient payment options for students and staff. While there is no official confirmation that all locations accept SZÉP cards (Széchenyi Recreation card), some of the larger campuses support this form of payment, given their focus on accessibility and affordability for the university community. Offering SZÉP card acceptance aligns with MATE’s broader commitment to student- and staff-friendly services, allowing staff and students to use flexible benefits for meals and encouraging the consumption of nutritious, campus-provided food. This approach fits into MATE’s overall strategy of making campus dining practical, inclusive, and adaptable to modern payment methods, potentially expanding to full SZÉP card acceptance in the future.
In addition to standard canteens, restaurants, and buffets, the campuses offer opportunities to purchase vegetables, fruits, and other food products from university teaching farms and partner farmers through “local markets,” promoting local food consumption and Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs):
In late April 2024, the Spring International Dinner was held at MATE’s Szent István Campus, featuring 17 nations - including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Iran, Kenya, Laos, Mexico, Mongolia, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan - showcasing their cultures through national dishes and traditional attire. International students entertained guests with songs and dances, with performances from Kenyan, Uzbek, Bangladeshi, and Hungarian students, alongside the MATE Forduló Folk Dance Ensemble, which presented Hungarian folk traditions:
