On Thursday, 21st July 2022, the third of six webinars on each of the categories of Milan Urban Food Policy Pact under the umbrella Asia Pacific Food Policy Training was held thanks to the cooperation between the MUFPP Secretariat and the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme.
The webinar focused on Social & Economic Equity. Gathering over 40 participants, the webinar was structured as follows: a brief introduction to the topic, a presentation showing some of the best practices in Europe, Milan’s Food Aid System, with Sydney showcasing its FoodLab and ending with the presentation of the first ever MUFPP Regional Forum in Asia Pacific.
The MUFPP Secretariat introduced the topic, giving an overview of the 6 recommended actions falling under the Social & Economic Equity category and the respective 8 indicators in order to provide a better understanding of what can be done to address the issue. Then, a small time frame was dedicated to present some of the best practices from Europe, namely Bergamo and Paris.
Soon after, the city of Milan shared its experience with emergency food planning that originated during the pandemic outbreak and is being carried out till this day.
From March to June 2020 a Food Aid System, supported by the work of 84 employees, was created to provide parcels for families in need, hubs were developed along with three logistics centers that stock food supplies. The city also provided vouchers for families, to enable them to purchase directly from the shop.
Milan also monitors the number of infrastructures, maps infrastructures in order to have geographical information on food policy, and maps civil society organizations promoting similar activities outside of Milan.
Lastly, Sydney shared its experience in the field asserting the wonderful work of the people who took part in FoodLab Sydney.
In 2018 the City of Sydney launched its first Social Sustainability Policy and Action Plan that included the key objective of reducing food insecurity, and it was following this policy that the City of Sydney began speaking with the University of Sydney and in 2019 FoodLab was born.
FoodLab is a food business incubator that helps food entrepreneurs from different social and economic backgrounds to gain the skills training in networks needed to launch a successful business and to increase the inclusivity of Sydney’s food system.
As mentioned, with the support of the European Commission, the MUFPP Secretariat is now organizing the 1st Regional Forum in Asia Pacific within the broader framework of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency. The event will take place August 3-4 in Bandung, Indonesia and will revolve around the issue of overcoming existing inequalities in accessing food, obtaining greater food security and boosting job creation. We hope to see you there!
You can watch the recording of the webinar below
