Food & The Cities: From Policy to Plate, explores the key role of cities in driving the sustainable European food system transformation.
Through nine episodes, the podcast host, EU agri-food journalist and podcaster Natasha Foote, guides the listener through engaging conversations with experts and Think Tanks.
Each episode will also highlight real-world examples of cities pioneering sustainable food initiatives showcasing the work of the Living Labs of the 11 Food Trails project partners.
Ep.1 The Food Trails Project
The transition towards sustainable food systems is a global goal, and cities are at the forefront of this change. The Horizon 2020 Food Trails project showcases how cities can transform practices into impactful food policies aligning with the EU ‘Food 2030’ strategy.
In this inaugural episode of Food and the Cities, host Natasha Foote interviews Rosalinda Scalia, Deputy Head of Unit for Bioeconomy and Food Systems at the European Commission, and Anna Scavuzzo, Vice Mayor of Milan, in charge of Food Policy.
Together, they discuss:
- How to support the sustainable transition of the EU food system at local and EU levels.
- The EU Food 2030 agenda and its significance for cities.
- Key insights and prospects from the Food Trails project.
If we fail on food, we fail on all
Ep.2 The need for an urban food revolution and the role of cities
Food can be seen both as a system in need of transformation and as a set of practices that empower cities to achieve sustainability. By leveraging food, cities can address the significant challenges they face.
In this second episode of Food and the Cities, host Natasha Foote interviews Nevin Cohen, member of the Food Trails Think Tank, Associate Professor at the City University of New York, and Director of the Urban Food Policy Institute, alongside Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food and a Food Trails expert.
Together, they discuss:
- What we mean by the sustainable transition of urban food systems.
- What are the main challenges in urban areas?
- Why cities are at the heart of the change.
This episode also takes a closer look at two Food Trails partner cities—Birmingham and Grenoble Alpes Metropole—exploring their specific initiatives and their outcomes.
Fixing our food system is a way to fix our cities
Ep.3 Connecting food research with Urban Food Policies
There is often an unhelpful perception of a division between the worlds of research and policy. However, within the Food Trails project, researchers and city practitioners have become ‘critical friends’, providing a safe, supportive and productive environment for exchanging ideas and co-producing urban food policy interventions.
In this third episode of Food and the Cities, host Natasha Foote engages with Becca Jablonski, member of the Food Trails Think Tank, co-Director of the Food Systems Institute at Colorado State University, and Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Paul Milbourne, Professor of Human Geography in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University and a researcher with Food Trails.
Together, they discuss:
- How to bridge the gap between researchers and policymakers.
- How the Food Trails project overturned the relationship between research and cities.
- Innovative research frameworks for a better understanding of urban food systems.
This episode looks at two more Food Trails partner cities—Funchal and Warsaw—exploring their specific initiatives and outcomes.
It was the process of working together—researchers and policymakers—that resulted in policy changes
Ep.4 Sustainable food systems: Living Labs to start the change
To effectively address food system challenges and shape impactful food policies, participatory approaches are essential. In this context, Living Labs offer a dynamic environment where stakeholders can collaborate and innovate.
This episode of Food and the Cities, explores how setting up Living Labs can help cities initiate the transition towards more sustainable food systems.
Host Natasha Foote, interviews Shaleen Meelu, public health nutritionist and Food Trails Cross Cutting Manager for the ‘Food 2030’ Pillar of Nutrition, and Alice Casiraghi, designer specializing in circular economy and Food Trails Crosscutting Manager for the Circularity Pillar.
Together, they discuss:
- Living Labs and their role in implementing integrated urban food policy actions.
- Food Councils and their significance in driving change.
- Participatory approaches for engaging food system stakeholders.
Then, this episode looks at two Food Trails partner cities—Bordeaux Metropole and Tirana—exploring their specific initiatives and outcomes.
Living Labs are an effective method to test innovations in food systems before scaling them to the whole city level
Ep.5 Five steps to set up an Urban Food Policy
For city governments, food serves as a powerful tool to achieve multiple goals, including environmental sustainability, promoting healthier eating habits, improving food access, and strengthening urban-rural connections. However, ensuring that efforts to enhance food system sustainability are effective, lasting, and replicable requires systemic and integrated urban food policies.
This episode of Food and the Cities, presents the five essential steps to establishing an urban food policy.
Host Natasha Foote engages with Stephanie Wunder from the independent think tank Agora Agriculture – Agora Agrar, and Filippo Gavazzeni from the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Secretariat.
Together, they discuss:
- What we mean by an urban food policy and why cities should have one.
- The five fundamental steps to successfully implement an urban food policy.
- The critical elements of a food policy.
This episode explores specific initiatives and outcomes from two Food Trails partner cities: Groningen and Bergamo.
Setting up a food strategy is important, but it is just as important that it doesn’t remain just a piece of paper
Ep.6 Monitoring impact: How to build and maintain an Urban Food Policy Action
For policy actions to be truly effective and lead to sustained improvements in the food system, they must be deeply rooted in evidence, not only to understand their impact but also to maximize their effectiveness on the ground. However, impressive numbers alone aren’t enough, they must be part of a comprehensive monitoring program that feeds back into the policies, helping them evolve and grow.
This episode of Food and the Cities explores the importance of monitoring impact and how this can help build and sustain effective urban food policy actions.
Host, Natasha Foote, engages with Simon Heck, Senior Director for Urban Food Systems at CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural research network, and Giulia Bartezzaghi, Director of the Food Sustainability Lab at Politecnico di Milano School of Management.
Together, they discuss:
- Tools for systemic and integrated food policy actions that have been developed and tested by the Food Trails project cities.
- The relevance of data collection for urban policy actions.
- How to design a monitoring system that ensures data collection leads to successful policy outcomes.
Moreover, this episode explores specific Living Lab initiatives and outcomes from the Food Trails partners Milan and Copenhagen.
Data and evidence are very empowering. They help everyone in the food system think beyond today’s individual constraints and look toward the future.
Ep.7 Peer learning to help cities accelerate food system transformation
While every city is unique, many of the challenges they face are similar. Cities can learn from each other, replicate, and scale solutions. This episode of Food and the Cities explores how peer learning can accelerate food system transformation.
Host, Natasha Foote, talks to Anna Friederitz, Network Development Coordinator at the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), and Marijke Dijkshoorn-Dekker, Senior Researcher at Wageningen University (WUR).
Together, they discuss:
- The importance of knowledge exchange and the replication of innovative approaches.
- Key elements that enable replication and scalability, including drivers and barriers.
- Strategies for expanding the impact: upscaling and outscaling.
This episode also virtually visits Food Trails partner city Thessaloniki exploring its specific initiatives and outcomes.
Instead of starting from scratch, collaboration allows us to learn from each other and leverage synergies
Ep.8 Impact investing in Urban Food Systems
When we talk about food systems, we’re addressing more than just the food on our shelves. We’re also dealing with financial markets, where hidden forces can hinder new ideas and the drive for change.
This episode of Food and the Cities explores how impact investing can drive positive social and environmental change in urban food systems.
Host, Natasha Foote, discusses this with Joe Robertson from Citizens’ Climate International, Senior Advisor of Sustainable Finance at the EAT Foundation, co-leader of the Food Trails Impact Investors Living Lab and the Good Food Finance Network, and Thom Aachterbosch, researcher on food systems transformation at Wageningen University and Research (WUR).
Together, they discuss:
- What is impact investing, and why is it essential for urban food systems and policies?
- How can cities focus on impact investing, and which investments should be scaled?
- Insights and outcomes from the ‘Food Trails Impact Investors Living Lab’.
Impact investing is a critical tool for correcting market failures. It can feel like swimming against the tide, but it's really about being honest about value creation.
Ep.9 Food Trails Policy messages
Across Europe and beyond, cities are increasingly recognising the powerful impact that urban food policies can have on local food systems. While many cities are already seeing the benefits of these approaches, there are still key areas where European Union legislation is needed to empower cities.
The final episode of Food and the cities delves into the essential policy messages from the Food Trails project.
Host, Natasha Foote, speaks to Madeleine Coste, head of Food Policy and Projects at Eurocities, and Andrea Magarini, Director of the Food Policy Department at the City of Milan. Andrea also serves as Chair of the Eurocities Working Group Food, works within the framework of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, and is the coordinator of the Food Trails project.
Together, they discuss:
- The main policy recommendations emerging from the Food Trails project.
- How the EU can enable cities to move forward.
- Placing food democracy at the heart of EU policies.
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This podcast is brought to you by Comune di Milano and Slow Food in the framework of the Food Trails project.
Food Trails is an EU Horizon 2020 project involving 11 cities, 3 universities, and 5 food organizations. Its goal is to promote more resilient, safe, fair, and diverse urban food systems through co-designed actions in Food 2030-led Living Labs, enabling the development of systemic urban food policies.
The Food Trails project has received fundings from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, under grant agreement n. 101000812.
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