Food Trails

The project
In the context of a globalized, contradictory food system permeated by social, environmental and economic vulnerabilities and inequalities, cities have emerged as key places to reimagine innovative and sustainable food policies. The general objective of this project is to provide the EU, local authorities and numerous other agents of change with guidelines, verified through the creation of 11 Living Labs, to develop sustainable food systems in the city-region context.

Partnership

  1. Municipality of Milan - leader 
  2. Eurocities, 
  3. Cardiff University,  
  4. Wageningen University,  
  5. Roskilde University, 
  6. Slow Food Association  
  7. EAT Foundation,
  8. City of Copenhagen,  
  9. City of Warsaw,  
  10. City of Bergamo,
  11. City of Birmingham,  
  12. City of Bordeaux,  
  13. City of Funchal,  
  14. City of Thessaloniki,  
  15. City of Groningen,  
  16. City of Grenoble,  
  17. City of Tirana,
  18. Cariplo Factory,
  19. Polytechnic Foundation of Milan 
     

Start date: 16/10/2020

End date:  15/10/2024

  • Improve the theoretical and practical understanding of innovative urban food strategies, based on intense interaction between all actors in the food system, to support the development of policies that generate its transformation;
  • Engage and empower communities;
  • Create financial opportunities that contribute to the long-term sustainability of such systems;
  • Maximize the replicability and transferability of policies (and associated evaluation methods) that contribute to systemic food change;
  • Collaborate with local authorities so that they put these commitments on their political agenda.
     

  1. Mapping of innovations in the field of food policy in Europe through a survey of the most innovative projects present in the literature and through the practices collected by the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact;  
  2. Creation and implementation of 11 Living Labs and co-design of pilot actions in the 11 cities of the project thanks to a unitary methodology provided by the scientific partners of the project; 
  3. Evaluation of the impact of the 11 pilot actions by monitoring their economic, environmental, social effects and establishing the innovative potential of each action; 
  4. Policy recommendations to the European Commission and Member States on the most successful and effective institutional tools; 
  5. Knowledge sharing and replicability within the other cities of the Eurocities Food Working Group of the 9 pilot actions; 
  6. Communication and dissemination of results among project partners and within international events in which the partners will be involved; 
  7. Management and monitoring of project development. 
     

  • The creation of new and solid evidence on urban food systems, so that it is useful to policy makers in developing policies with a multi-stakeholder approach, which are effective and relevant to the priorities of FOOD 2030
  • The creation of a large network of European pilot cities of different sizes and geographical contexts that will develop and implement transferable and replicable food policies and local actions (Living Labs)
  • The reconnection of citizens with food, to encourage a change in behavior (healthy and sustainable diet, healthy nutrition, responsible production and consumption)
  • Greater food and nutritional security for the inhabitants of urban and rural areas
  • Improving social inclusion and equity of all actors in food systems
  • Creating opportunities for innovation, jobs and growth relevant to the livelihoods of cities and the economic development of all actors in food systems

Updated: 28/02/2024