How do you build a food lab in a city with no food policy and little political appetite? Warsaw started small, thought big, and used EU funding as a lever. The Warsaw Food Lab came to life as a space where city officers, researchers and local actors co-design solutions for accessible, healthy food for all locals. It shows what collaboration can achieve even when political support is thin.
A lab born from determination
The city’s food work did not begin with a grand strategy. “Our department’s tasks didn’t include any work on food,” recalls Natalia Boitot, Inspector at the International Cooperation Office in Warsaw. “It started as a bottom-up approach because city officers were convinced that this is an important topic.”
That conviction met opportunity when Warsaw became a partner in the Food Trails project. “We wouldn’t have been able to establish the food lab if we didn’t have EU funds,” explains Boitot. “For us, it gave us the opportunity to showcase that the lab’s method is really effective and brings real results.”
Creating the lab was not easy. Warsaw lacked a dedicated food department, and political commitment was limited. “At the political level, this has not been a central focus,” says Boitot. “And if it’s not a priority, sustaining political commitment can be challenging.”
We wouldn’t have been able to establish the food lab if we didn’t have EU funds.
This reality shaped the lab’s strategy. Instead of pushing for controversial changes, the team focused on topics everyone could get behind, for example, food waste. They also worked across departments to break silos and build alliances. “Food is such a transversal topic that you need to be in touch with people who work in other areas,” adds Boitot.
How the lab works
Since 2022, the Warsaw Food Lab has brought together city officials, experts, academics and end users to tackle food system challenges – and taking every decision together. Rather than outsourcing to an external operator, the city embedded collaboration into its DNA.
“It was pioneering for us because we’re not used to working this way,” says Boitot.
Two principles guided the lab’s process to identify the first solutions to develop: a human-centred design approach and a research-based method. Before investing public money, the team mapped food flows and identified barriers. They tested ideas with restaurants, NGOs and shelters, ensuring solutions were practical and easy to implement.
Two solutions changing the game
We designed clear instructions and modular solutions that are easy to implement; even with high staff turnover.
The lab’s work produced two standout solutions. First, a knowledge compendium and online tool for restaurants. This tool tackles one of the biggest barriers to food donation: legal uncertainty. Many restaurateurs hesitate to give away surplus food because they fear breaking health regulations. Warsaw’s solution makes the process simple and safe. In just four steps, a restaurant can find an NGO partner, download a model agreement, and even arrange delivery through a local logistics company.
Second, the lab tackled food waste in NGOs and shelters by designing smart storage systems. These organisations often receive donations with very short shelf lives and lack professional kitchens or trained staff. Warsaw’s Food Lab designed a smart storage system to help them keep food fresh for longer. The pilot involved reshaping storage spaces, introducing modular furniture, and creating clear, visual guidelines for staff and volunteers. Simple changes, such as separating certain vegetables to prevent faster rotting, made a big difference.
“We discovered that NGOs need help to extend the shelf life of products,” explains Boitot. “So we designed clear instructions and modular solutions that are easy to implement; even with high staff turnover.”
The pilot, tested in a homeless shelter, received enthusiastic feedback from other organisations, with many more expressing interest in adopting the system.
Sharing is caring
The lab and its solutions were at the centre of the Cleverfood study visit between Warsaw and Turin. Like Warsaw, the Italian city struggles with food waste and legal barriers to food donation. Seeing Warsaw’s solutions sparked ideas for low-cost interventions that could work in Turin.
Turin’s representatives were particularly impressed by Warsaw’s storage solutions, which require minimal financial resources and show a practical approach that many cities can replicate.
The study visit also offered a glimpse into Warsaw’s wider food ecosystem, where grassroots initiatives complement the lab’s work. For example, the MOST Urban Farm Cooperative transformed an abandoned municipal plot into a thriving orchard producing apple juice.
Another initiative, KARMNIK, connects local farmers with consumers through two physical stores and collaborates with online platforms, sourcing from 60-70 producers mainly in the Mazovia region. This short supply chain strengthens local agriculture and ensures fresh, seasonal products reach city residents.
And the Dobrze Cooperative promotes healthy eating through a member-owned shop model, proving that citizen-led initiatives can drive sustainable consumption.
Our idea was to showcase that this method brings real results and convince decision-makers to support it.
The need for lasting change
Despite its successes, Warsaw faces structural hurdles. EU funding was crucial to launch the Food Lab and demonstrate that this method works, but without lasting political commitment, securing a dedicated budget remains difficult.
“Our idea was to showcase that this method brings real results and convince decision-makers to support it,” says Boitot. “For now, we’re still struggling to see if we will get some budget for it.”
One challenge Warsaw faced was how to measure success. For pilot projects, indicators often focus on whether solutions are practical and useful – for example, whether restaurants found the donation platform helpful – rather than hard numbers on how much food waste was saved. This makes it harder to communicate impact and convince policy makers and the public.
Without political backing or a local food policy, Warsaw has limited capacity to support grassroots initiatives and cooperatives. Warsaw’s experience underscores a common challenge for many cities: how to move from pilot projects to systemic change.
From Warsaw to the EU
The latest EU vision on food mentioned local authorities as key actors. However, we still need to push.
For both Turin and Warsaw, the Cleverfood visit was a reminder that collaboration and exchange is a necessity for tackling challenges that no city can solve alone.
Warsaw’s involvement in the Eurocities Working Group on Food proved crucial. “Being part of the group and the Cleverfood project was a turning point for us,” says Boitot. “It gave us knowledge, contacts and the confidence to push forward.”
Beyond learning, it gave Warsaw a voice towards the EU institutions. As vice-chair, the city could argue for stronger recognition of local authorities in EU food policy. “We’ve been trying to get this for a long time,” insists Boitot. “Now, the latest EU vision on food mentioned local authorities as key actors. However, we still need to push. Cities weren’t included in the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF), which brings together stakeholders advising on EU food policy, even though we’re key agents of change.”
Warsaw proved that collaboration works even without strong political backing. But lasting change won’t happen by chance. With the EU Food Dialogue expected to take place in February, now is the time to put cities at the heart of Europe’s food strategy.
