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.
I have been the Manager of the REGIO Communities of Practitioners for 4 years now. 4 years during which we have experimented on various ways to bring together practitioners of ERDF and Cohesion Funds, in the best possible ways for them to learn and exchange amongst each other.
Discover how URBACT cities are using sustainable food and urban agriculture to address an array of local challenges.
In this article, URBACT Programme Expert Marcelline Bonneau shines a light on several URBACT partner cities making the transition towards more sustainable local food ecosystems – and some of the practices they have developed in the process. She concludes with a reminder of the importance of integrated food policies at city level.
A multitude of local food solutions in URBACT cities
The
diverse topics covered by these URBACT cities reflect the complexity of
our food systems and the interlinkages between sectors and policy
priorities, as presented in the overview below.
The UIATAST’in FIVES project, taking place in the Fives
neighbourhood of Lille, France, has aimed at using the concept of food (from
growing, picking up, preparing, cooking, and eating) to propose a systemic model to fight against urban poverty, including
social and economic inclusion, health, education, and empowerment.
Indeed, with a population of 20,000 inhabitants, 50% below 30 and 22%
unemployed, 45% of the households of Fives live below the poverty threshold[1].
More than 1,000 families receive food parcels from the Secours Populaire
Français. The area suffers from poverty, with under and malnutrition, as well
related health issues (obesity, cholesterol, diabetes….).
Yet, TAST’in FIVES has not sought to address those directly and to carry out a top-down health-focused project convening moralising tips for everyday life: it has intended to provide a convivial place and useful activities where each participant could find a direct benefit from herself or himself. While indirectly addressing poverty issues, it sought to have a wider impact on residents’ lives, using food-related activities to create commensality, share moments, empower, enable socialisation, develop skills, and support access to the job market.
People of varied backgrounds and from all over the world met at the UrbanA Community Conversation on 30th June 2020 to address the question of food poverty and solidarity. UrbanA Fellow Marcelline Bonneau, an expert in both the URBACT programme and the Urban Innovation Actions initiative, led the conversation. She began by sharing her experience and understanding of how European municipalities have approached food poverty during the COVID19 crisis. She focused on three questions:
How have cities supported those in need of food during the crisis?
How have cities reorganized traditional food aid systems, such as funded meals in canteens or regular food distributions?
