On 10–11 March 2026, the City of Austin, in collaboration with the City of Baltimore, hosted the first-ever MUFPP Regional Forum for the North & Central America region.

Under the theme A Recipe for Change: Cities Leading Food Systems Change, food policy officers, stakeholders, academics, practitioners, and international experts gathered to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing the region’s urban food landscapes.

The two-day agenda featured thematic sessions, city case studies, and interactive discussions focused on governance, food justice, and resilient urban food systems, fostering peer-to-peer learning and strategic alignment (see full event agenda).

One of the primary outcomes of the Forum was the MUFPP North & Central America 2026–2028 Regional Roadmap, a strategic document that defined the path for the region’s signatory cities through 2028.

Designed to move from individual local initiatives toward a more coordinated regional approach, the roadmap sets out a vision of building a self-sustaining, cross-border network of over 50 cities, positioning the MUFPP network as a premier municipal platform for knowledge exchanges on food justice, sovereignty, and resilient value chains.

To achieve this, the roadmap is organised around four strategic pillars: strengthening regional coordination led by Austin and Mexico City, fostering data-driven knowledge exchanges, advancing advocacy at the national-level, and promoting joint fundraising efforts. By prioritizing practical actions—such as scaling school meal programs, securing urban land tenure, and developing climate-responsive food emergency plans—the roadmap provides a concrete path for cities to lead systemic transformation across the continent.

Special thanks to partners and supporters for making this Forum possible: the City of Austin, the City of Baltimore, Food Tank, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Urban Roots, Central Texas Food Bank and Good Work Austin.