Latest posts

Jun
24

Local Action Plans

After an European tour of sustainable food initiatives, each partner of the “Sustainable Food in Urban Communities” realised a Local Action Plan (LAP). A LAP summary is available in English – the perfect tool to have an overview of each partner’s Local Action Plan. (City Context, Description of the process, Content of the Local Action […]

Mar
19

Download the freshly published handbook!

Download the handbook : Creating space for sustainable food systems in urban communities – Practical approaches and examples for cities Final handbook (12 Mo) 

Mar
17

Watch the commitments of the partners officials!

Watch now the video of the elected officials of the partner cities that commit to place sustainable food high on the political city agenda for 2015 and beyond!

Feb
12

Amersfoort dissemination event

The Urbact project is almost finished for our city, but ‘real food’ will stay on the agenda of dedicated  initiatives and the municipality. Also the implementation of our Local Action Plan is in full swing. Time for a wrap up conference on February 19th: What did we do on our Urbact Food journey , international with […]

Feb
5

Mayor of Athens announces open dialogue for a sustainable food policy

MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, MR. YORGOS KAMINIS on 5 February 2012 Ladies and gentlemen, Athens welcomes URBACT partner cities representatives and our guests to todays’ meeting for Sustainable Food for Urban Communities [see partner  meeting article]. We are excited to announce that Athens is the first city in Greece to initiate an open […]

Jan
20

Local Action Plan of Messina: updating

  On Wednesday 7th January, at the beginning of 2015, the urbact management of Messina, together with the local support groups, began to work again on the local city action plan. During the meeting the team analyzed and discussed, which are the best local action plan projects, useful to spread the sustainable food culture in […]

Jan
12

5-6 Feb 2015: Athens partner meeting + social entrepreneurship workshop

From a city with 0% food self-sufficiency ratio to introducing food policy as key priority in the political agenda, Athens has come a long way, announced the URBACT Secretariat in its news (read article). Now European partner cities will get a chance to see for themselves as well as discuss food & the social economy. On […]

Dec
15

City wormery, Food hall and urban farming for Food Banks

What is the relation between these initiatives. Well they are all part of the Amersfoort Local Action Plan on sustainable food policy. After finalizing the Local Action Plan the next phase is knocking on the door: How can we help local actions in our plan to the next phase?. The core team of Amersfoort food […]

Oct
14

How could Bristol better support health & health equity through a spatial planning approach to food governance?

Food and planning developmental review – 20-page report based on interviews with Bristol City Council staff about their work on food published in May 2014. A peer review team visited Bristol City Council on 17 March 2014 and interviewed 14 staff and one elected member about their roles in improving the health, sustainability and resilience […]

Sep
23

Vaslui hosts transnational ENJOYING workshop

Wednesday 17 September 2014 Workshops LAP Progress & Challenges (1/2): Five partner cities presented in plenary the state of the art of their LAP, the progress they have made since the last meeting in Lyon, the challenge they still encounter and the roadmap they envision to finalize their LAP and get it approved. Communication, deliverables […]

Sep
18

Good practices in communication for Brussels.

EWWR focuses on food waste reduction in 2014 The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is a European project (Life+ 2013-2017) promoting the implementation of awareness-raising actions about sustainable resource and waste management during a single week.     It encourages a wide range of audiences (public authorities, private companies, civil society as well as […]

Sep
7

MESSINA’S LAP ACTIVITIES ARE BACK IN SESSION!

Yesterday afternoon at 3.30 pm at the Urban laboratory of Messina (Palace of Culture), together with the local support group we finally defined the basis of the LAP. Basically the specific objective that we want to achieve is to promote the sustainable use of local products, to incentivate the promotion and growth of the agricultural […]

Sep
3

Sustainable Food, from now on a priority sector for ERDF funding in Brussels!

          In April  2014, the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region approved the new Operational Programme for the implementation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the 2014-2020 programming period. The sustainable food sector is one of the 5 priority sectors specifically identified to be funded and developed. The programme stresses: “Developing agriculture […]

Sep
3

FoodLoop, a mobile app to buy your food at the best price !

This project, based on an EU-funded toolbox (FI-WARE),  aims at reducing food waste in European supermarkets. It would allow consumers to purchase goods that are close to their best before date at a lower price. This would be accomplished thanks to the mobile App developed along the project, which will be tested at the end of september […]

Jul
28

Lyon and La passerelle d’eau de Robec honored

The social grocery shop was honored on the URBACT blog with an article about it. You will find it here, and more information about the NGO is also available on our blog.

Jul
8

URBACT II, “Athens, Metropolis of Taste” event, 27.06.2014

     On 27 June, three Urbact II programs united at “Varvakeios” Athens Central Market to celebrate the event “Athens, Metropolis of Taste”. The event took place on occassion of the “Declaration for the International Days of Markets” as advanced by URBACT “Markets” partners. In particular, «Sustainable Food in Urban Communities» – City of Athens, «Gastronomic Cities» […]

Jun
30

Local Action Plan for Amersfoort

Last week we accomplished the first version of the Amersfoort Local Action Plan, a joint initiative of involved stakeholders of the Amersfoort local food network ‘EEM’. Although actions for our LAP will ‘organically’ evolve the upcoming period, the basis of the LAP is defined. What are the main topics which we adress in our LAP? […]

Jun
10

Lyon transnational « Delivering » workshop programme and presentations

Wednesday 4 June 2014 Workshops List of lessons learned (priority check list): Why other cities would look at our delivering processes? The initial questions were completed or regrouped by theme. LAP crash tests: it aimed at reviewing and improving the LAPs. The first part focussed on a “Crash test’ session, where the purpose was to […]

May
22

Sustainable food in european cities

More and more cities are interested in sustainable food and are moving towards local strategies to establish local food systems.  “The way we eat affects the city we live in. The food we grow, the way we produce and distribute it, the distance it travels and the people and businesses we buy it from all […]

May
14

Messina Transnational “Growing” workshop programme and presentations

  The theme of Growing explores all possible ways to grow food near or in the city centre. It includes: fostering sustainable agricultural growth in urban and periurban areas thanks to urban planning strategies; the use of derelict lands; safeguarding and improving the fertility of lands; developing new technologies that do not need so much […]

May
12

Parckfarm “from the landscape to the plate” – a design festival celebrating kitchen garden.

The 2014 edition of the Brussels “Parckdesign” festival – supported by Brussels Environment – comes to life in the new Tour & Taxis park from May to September 2014. Entitled PARCKFARM “From the landscape to the plate”, it invites visitors to discover a new park typology through art installations, agricultural performances and flavorful experiences. Take […]

May
8

The city of Manchester is heading towards a sustainable food system !

The city launched a study on sustainable food in Manchester and the report has been published in November 2013. The report provides an overview of the current situation in the city and establish a simple set of relevant and practical sustainable food criteria for policy maker to work from.                              ManchesterSustainableFood_report                ManchesterSustainableFood_presentation   The Kindling […]

Apr
28

Urban Agriculture in Brussels, the emergence of a sector

200 stakeholders met in Brussels on 26 March 2014 to discuss urban agriculture in Brussels and in Europe. Given the challenges currently facing towns and cities (demographics, pollution, social inequalities, etc.), urban agriculture is gradually becoming a strategic development axis. Like other cities, the Brussels-Capital Region is affected by this trend and wishes to support […]

Apr
13

Kick off for the city farming project ‘Nieuwe Stadsboeren’

On sunday 13 th of April 2014 two enthousiastic citizens of Amersfoort, Kinke Hendriksma and Manon Hendrikx, launched the start of a small scale urban farming project ‘Nieuwe Stadsboeren‘.  About 40 families adopted wooden grow boxes to grow veggies and fruit this season. In a former Unilever industrial estate called De Nieuwe Stad,  now transformed […]

Mar
18

Joy Carey’s reflections from URBACT meeting in Brussels and Urban Strategy Mix conference

Understanding the cases better The three reports cover a wide range of practical examples of what is currently going on in the different partner cities.  The richness lies in the diversity of examples that address different scales, audiences, instigated by many different ‘actors’ to address a range of challenges. What unifies all these examples is […]

Mar
14

‘Farmer and City are looking for transport’

‘Are logistics and regional food  a dilemma or are their new opportunities? What can we learn from initiatives dealing with this topic and what is the actual status on supply, demand and logistics of regional food in Amersfoort.’   These questions were subject of presentation and discussion at the Amersfoort the local support group meeting […]

Feb
17

Urban Food Strategy Mix – Presentations & Background

Glimpses of Urban Food Strategy Mix workshop On 5 February 2014 in Brussels, participants from over 40 cities  met and browsed through the Sustainable Food City Exhibition showcasing sustainable food initiatives in partner cities of the URBACT Thematic Network Sustainable Food in Urban Communities. During six workshops addressing “Growing”, “Delivering”, “Enjoying”, “Governance”, “Funding” and “CO2 […]

Dec
16

Update: save the 5 Feb 2014 & read our Delivering report

December 2013 Update Thank you for your interest in our URBACT Thematic Network “Sustainable Food in Urban Communities” . Feel free to join our mid-term event in Februray 2013 in Brussels or read our first publication on “Delivering” Sustainable Food. From plate to city Save the dates: 5 & 6 February 2013 5 Feb: “Urban Food […]

Dec
4

Brussels Mid-term Event – new background documents & updated programme

Invitation On 5 February 2014, the International workshop “Urban food strategy mix” welcomes cities and interested parties engaging in strategies for low-carbon and resource-efficient urban food systems to exchange actively on initiatives in “growing” (production), “delivering” (supply) and “enjoying” (demand). A joint reflection on how cities might move beyond an inventory or wish list of […]

Dec
2

New sustainable food publication: “Delivering” Thematic report

Read full Delivering report (PDF) In short The interim thematic report“Delivering” explores ways to distribute, share and procure local food inside the city. It captures the exchanges between network partners during 2013, notably during the Amersfoort workshop in April. It considers more sustainable and less carbon intensive delivery systems giving efficient opportunities to local production; […]

Nov
18

Amersfoort update november 2013

What’s going on in Amersfoort the last months? Sustainable local food initiatives are ‘growing’ 1) City farmer Wytze Nauta of Eemstadboerderij proudly harvested his first potatoes, pumpkins and sugar corn in the new district of Amersfoort (Vathorst). On 22 th of september inhabitants of Vathorst had the opportunity to harvest their own produce. People enjoyed […]

Nov
4

Beyond food… Field trip in Montpellier for the 5th conference on Food Urban Planning

AESOP (Association of European Schools of Planning) 5th conference on Food Urban Planning took place in Montpellier the 28th and 29th of October and gather the scientific community at the cross roads of urban planning and agriculture. A challenge in some way as agriculture and the city have always been historical enemies and two separate […]

Oct
21

Geitmyra School Garden – “Growing” at Oslo

10.09.2013 By the public transport we went to “Geitmyra School Garden”, an area where can have a bet to plant. But what’s special about is, that the School children get lessons and exercises from the staff and from teachers over there. So they can participate and get insights in bee-keeping or a workshop about the […]

Oct
21

Geitmyra Kitchen – “Growing” at Oslo

10.09.2013 Next to the garden an educational kitchen is placed. Surrounded by the living houses you can find a cage with chicken and plant houses. School classes could come here for one week in which they cook together with committed teachers. But everything is very cozy and lovely in it’s appearance. For understanding where our […]

Oct
18

Sogn Allotment Garden Lodge – “Growing” at Oslo

10.09.2013 To see how broad the availability to growing places in Oslo could be, the last excursion this day has been the “Sogn Allotment Garden Lodge”, a place where people come in summer time. Next to that we’ve seen before that area has shown us an interesting contrast. The people over there use it more […]

Sep
14

Olso meeting wrap-up…

Recording of the short synthesis presented by François Jégou as a wrap-up of the Olso transnational meeting…

Sep
8

Working for Oslo “Growing” meeting

Last 3rd september a new meeting of Messina’s LSG was held: Choose your keywords for “Growing” was the theme of the meeting. The tasks were focused about the meaning of Growing theme for each partner and the real experiences that everyone has developed about that. A brief summary of previous steps was explained especially for […]

Aug
12

Our summer newsletter is out!

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Aug
12

Calling for sustainable food projects in Brussels

Brussels Environment just launched a new call for innovative projects that encourage behavioural change for more sustainable food consumption, open to associations, businesses, public bodies, individuals… (not schools) – Deadline: Monday, 30/09/13 at 11:00. You can get ideas below from projects supported in previous years (click on the pictures for detailed factsheets in French or […]

Jul
10

Vaslui – Easter Eggs.Icons

As usual in the last 10 years, Vaslui Municipality, in collaboration with “The County Center for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture” and  “County Museum – Stefan cel Mare” organised the “Easter eggs. Icons” Festival that presents to the audience authentic values from Moldova, related to the Easter holidays. It’s primarily target is to illustrate […]