Written by Maria Vasile

The European research project “integrated urban FOOD policies – developing sustainability Co-benefits, spatial Linkages, social Inclusion and sectoral Connections to transform food systems in city-regions” (FOODCLIC) has started! The kick off meeting of the project took place in Amsterdam (October 24-26 2022) and brought together all projects’ participants. These mainly included universities, local administrations and food networks representatives from Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Romania. The meeting was facilitated by the project’s coordinators at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in close collaboration with scholars from Surrey University.

PAGE researchers Sabrina Arcuri and Maria Vasile, together with Maria Chiara Cremoni representing the Municipality of Capannori and Giorgio Dalsasso from the Food Policy Network Piana del Cibo, joined the meeting as representatives of the Plain of Lucca’ stakeholders. The Plain of Lucca is in fact one of the eight regions (and, soon to be developed, Living Labs) particularly targeted by the project, aiming at fostering integrated and inclusive local food policies.

The kick off meeting included plenary sessions designed for all participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the project and its central concepts. Among other, the project’s coordinators introduced FOODCLIC different Working Packages, which include, among other, the development of a methodological, training and monitoring framework as well as the co-design and implementation of food policy-oriented planning frameworks and real-life interventions. Moreover, the key terminology of the project (such as “food system”, “participatory”, “vulnerability”) was discussed during round tables to enable all participants to build on similar understandings and questions around such complex dimensions. The accent was put on the importance of working at the level of the city-region (beyond the urban context) as well as to foster the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups. The meeting also included a first training for Living Labs’ coordinators and researchers.

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Find here an article about the kick off meeting by the municipality of Capannori (Italian only): https://www.comune.capannori.lu.it/news/dettaglio/il-comune-di-capannori-ad-amsterdam-per-lavvio-del-progetto-europeo-foodclic-di-cui-e-partner-insieme-ad-altre-7-citta-europee/

Find here more information about the FOODCLIC project (a website will be developed soon): https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060717