Last month Milan hosted the third EU City Lab on Local Food Systems. What have we learnt about integrated sustainable food systems?

Milan will serve the third course of the EU City Labs on Local Food Systems on 23-24 October. Reserve your spot and find out more about sustainable land-use strategies to feed the city.

‘Going local’ is not just a trend or a buzzword; cities throughout Europe are prioritising local food production and consumption as part of a holistic and systemic approach towards integrated sustainable food systems. Scientific and policy research shows that cities with agricultural land have an advantage and opportunity to relocalise their food systems by making farmland and practices more accessible.

On 23-24 October 2024, Milan (IT) will take on sustainable land use at the next EU City Lab, a series of knowledge-sharing events co-organised by URBACT and the European Urban Initiative (EUI).

The Milan edition marks the third EU City Lab on Local Food Systems since March 2024, following Mouans-Sartoux (FR), where we explored changing habits for a healthy and sustainable food system, and Liège (BE), where we considered public procurement for more local, seasonal and sustainable food.

Let’s find out more about what sustainable land-use practices are, why they are important for cities, and what we can expect from the next EU City Lab.

Farming within the city limits

Discover how cities have taken on the challenge to push for more organic, local and sustainable food systems.

URBACT cities and networks have been very active in the development of innovative approaches and solutions when it comes to public procurement and gender-sensitive responses. Their practical insights and experience are told in the different modules of the Strategic Public Procurement Online Course. Some municipalities have also taken advantage of it to re-think the ways we produce, distribute and consume food. Read on to see how cities are taking matters into their own hands.

Food procurement relates to the provisioning of food, via catering services (with or without supply), canteens, and vending machines. It targets the public sector and sectors managed by public authorities: school and childcare centres, health and welfare centres (including hospitals), senior or retirement homes, and public administrations.

Each year, EU households throw away millions of tonnes of food. What can cities do to support the fight against food waste?

Approximately 20% of all food produced in the EU is wasted, leading to annual emissions of 186 million CO², writes Antonio Zafra, Lead Expert of the URBACT FOOD CORRIDORS network, in a recent article, drawing on figures from the European Environment Agency. So, with more than 50% of that food waste coming from households– on average, 47 million tonnes a year – what actions can local authorities take to help us limit and prevent this waste? And how is URBACT supporting them? URBACT Programme Expert Marcelline Bonneau investigates…

After the two months of July and August 2021, the temporary outdoor Swimming pool Flow, coordinated by POOL IS COOL at Pont Pierre Marchant / Digue du Canal, in Anderlecht, Belgium, has come to an end. “We just want it to happen again next year”, said Nabil A., neighbour and visitor of the site. Both adults and children loved it. Inhabitants from the neighbourhood and beyond enjoyed it enthusiastically. What has this Flow been about then?

Here are some crossed reflexions and suggestions for the next editions, combining analytical insights from Marcelline Bonneau with those of a local resident, Nabil A.

Towns and cities must boost local actions to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Three URBACT cities show how…

COP26, the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, is on its way. In November, governments from around the world will gather in Glasgow (UK) to reaffirm their commitment to tackling climate change. Meanwhile, without waiting for the next COP, many URBACT cities have already been developing their own strategies, activities, and partnerships to move towards greater integration and transversality in their local climate policies.

Cities are the level at which most emissions are recorded. The world’s cities consume 60–80% of natural resources(link is external), producing 50% of global waste and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. And this is set to increase:75% of EU citizens(link is external) live in urban areas; 66% of the world’s(link is external) population is expected to live in cities by 2050; and cities’ global carbon footprint is predicted to triple by 2030. As a result, an estimated 93% of cities face threats such as floods, storms and heatwaves, and although many are taking action to improve resilience, up to 400 million people(link is external) could be living in cities with no plan to tackle climate by 2030.

La région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Belgique, est entrée dans la matière de l’alimentation durable à travers le gaspillage alimentaire. En utilisant des outils traditionnels des politiques publiques (Plan de réduction régional des déchets, financement européen INTERREG, …) elle a développé une série d’outils visant à soutenir la réduction du gaspillage alimentaire auprès des ménages. Ces approches se sont notamment basées sur des cadres analytiques percevant le comportement comme résultant d’une approche linéaire, elle-même découlant d’une intention et d’une volonté d’agir directe. Or, ces approches ont montré leurs limites, et ce, malgré l’existence d’une série d’outils et conseils pour réduire le gaspillage alimentaire. A travers un projet financé par Bruxelles environnement pour mettre en place un réseau de Maîtres Frigo (des citoyens formés d’une part aux « trucs et astuces » pour lutter contre le gaspillage alimentaire et d’autre part au relais de cette information vers leurs pairs) nous avons testé une approche par la théorie des pratiques, en cherchant à développer une formation innovante tant par son contenu que par sa forme.

This Zoom-In presents an infographic of the analysis contained in the article Food-related activities as a leverage against urban poverty. It is based on interviews with the UIA TAST’in FIVES project partners and seeks to present in a concise and communicative ways the learnings of the TAST’in FIVES project on the impact the use of food as a concept and a tool has benefitted on the one hand the beneficiaries of the activities, on the other, the organisers of these activities.

Some of the most prominent impacts presented in this graphic are detailed here, whereas further details can be found in the above-mentionned article.