SDG-2-zero-hunger-2-student-hunger - Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger - 2. STUDENT HUNGER
Last modified: 20. November 2025
2. STUDENT HUNGER 2.1. Student food insecurity and hunger
MATE places great importance on ensuring reliable access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food, and therefore offers a variety of food services across its campuses, including canteens, restaurants, and buffets. Most of these venues provide student discounts or a multi-course daily menu available to both students and staff. A full list of these services is provided below.
The university campuses also feature well-equipped communal areas, complete with microwaves, tables, chairs, and dining utensils (plates, glasses, cutlery, etc.), where students can heat and enjoy meals brought from home.
On the Buda campus, the Nestlé Mini Bisztró has been serving affordable meals for students since 2019.
Moreover, MATE actively participates in projects that provide educational support for the special dietary consumer market
Social scholarships
As a part of the programme in place on food insecurity, MATE offers social-based scholarships which support students with social needs. You can find the details in the following document (in Hungarian): Organisational and Operational Rules of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences – volume III: Student Requirements System - III.2. Student Allowances and Reimbursements (last modified: July 1, 2025), page 32:
The project aims to improve access to training in the special dietary restrictions consumer market by developing and implementing educational programs, creative student camps, workshops, and panel discussions for students, entrepreneurs, and academia. It also includes innovation workshops within the food production sector, an idea competition for tourism product packages targeting special dietary needs, workshops on various dietary trends, and training on preparing “free” meals.
Specific objectives focus on designing specialized student programs and delivering courses for students interested in food tourism, while also enhancing the professional knowledge of instructors. Through these innovative activities, the project seeks to foster business thinking in food tourism among the younger generation and promote consumer awareness, alongside a business plan competition for tourism product packages addressing special dietary needs.
The project also emphasizes collaboration between innovative food production and delivery actors for special consumer groups, supported by two professional visits whose insights will feed into project activities. Additionally, a study will examine dietary trends, nutrition-related health issues, and the demand and supply of foods for special dietary restrictions, providing recommendations for transforming food and agricultural systems. Ultimately, a handbook will be developed to assist food service providers and support the emerging market for special dietary restrictions.
Development of Milk-Protein–Based Foods and Formula Ingredients for Specialised Purposes
The project aims to develop milk-protein–based food and formula ingredients for specialised nutritional purposes. Sole-Mizo Ltd. currently produces large quantities of milk protein isolates and concentrates (MPI/MPC), primarily used in fermented dairy products, cheese production, and ice cream manufacturing. However, these proteins also have significant potential as high-protein ingredients in functional foods for sports nutrition and in specialised medical formulas. The project therefore focuses on creating an MPI/MPC-based protein blend with a nutritional value that surpasses that of whey protein - widely considered the ideal reference - thereby expanding the advanced application possibilities of MPI/MPC products.
To achieve this quality enhancement, the project combines two strategies: (1) biotechnological pre-treatment to improve the digestibility of existing MPI/MPC products, and (2) supplementation with additional protein sources to optimise the amino acid composition and improve overall nutritional value. The innovative nature of the project lies in its integrated approach, combining protein complementation and bioconversion techniques—an area scarcely addressed in international literature.
Another key objective is to develop a clear and consumer-friendly labelling system, supported by a certification mark, to indicate the nutritional quality of protein-containing foods, protein preparations, and specialised medical formulas. This system will be based on transparent, scientifically grounded, internationally accepted protein-quality indicators, ensuring objective evaluation for all stakeholders. The certification will signal those products bearing the mark meet high nutritional standards with regard to their protein content.
MATE is also connected to the Gödöllő-based Hungarian Food Bank Association that locate and collect surplus food to deliver to those in need, reducing food waste and deprivation.
MATE places a strong emphasis on charitable activities, actively supporting initiatives that provide assistance to those in need. In December 2024, MATE contributed HUF 1.5 million worth of long‐lasting food items to the Ecumenical Relief Organization’s Advent donation drive, helping families in crisis. The donation, personally handed over by Rector Prof. Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, included shelf-stable foods such as canned meats, pasta, oil, rice, baby food, jam, and other staples to make daily life a little easier during the holiday season. The Rector emphasized that the effort reflects MATE’s commitment to humanitarian work, which aligns with its core mission of food production—from field to table—and its educational and research activities in agriculture and food sciences.
In 2020, the SZIA Agroecological Garden at MATE was founded through a student initiative, applying agroecological principles and addressing the food system as a whole. The garden emphasizes the social dimension of agroecology, focusing on providing access to fresh, healthy, and diverse food, fostering a strong student community, and promoting the creation and exchange of knowledge and food culture.
