On the 22nd and 23rd of May 2024, the MUFPP Regional Forum Europe & Eurocities Working Group Food meeting has been hosted in Warsaw.
The central theme has been innovation of food systems in terms of sustainability and resilience. The event brought together policymakers, city officials, key stakeholders, and researchers from across Europe to exchange experiences and co-create solutions to pressing challenges in EU food systems. With 30 cities from 15 European countries attending, it was the largest gathering since 2016, underscoring the growing importance of food policy issues across Europe.
As the host city, Warsaw showcased its proactive approach to enhancing urban resilience through the ‘Warszawski Food Lab’, a Living Lab that engages various stakeholders in co-creating public solutions.
The outbreak of the war in Ukraine further challenged Warsaw’s food system, prompting the city to prioritize food waste reduction.
In response, Warsaw facilitated surplus food donations from restaurants to local NGOs, developing legal guidelines, and launching communication campaigns to support these efforts.
Additionally, the city implemented a smart labeling system to improve food management practices among organizations distributing food to vulnerable citizens.
A key session of the event focused on how a food system approach can enable rapid responses to emerging crises. Christopher Hegadorn from Sciences Po shared insights from the ‘Food Alert Simulation Workshop’ held in Brussels, where stakeholders collaborated on policy simulations to anticipate and respond to future food crises in Europe. Pietro Pipi from the Ukraine Office of AICS highlighted efforts to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing war on Ukrainian city food systems.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships in enhancing food security and resilience.
In four parallel sessions, MUFPP cities also shared their strategies for responding to food crises:
The event included also the Food Trails Replication Workshop, which marked the culmination of a replication program involving 11 Food Trails cities and over 28 European cities that responded to the ‘Call for Cascading Cities.’ Participants engaged in discussions on localized food systems, food waste, canteens and public procurement, stakeholder engagement and governance, and food education. The workshop facilitated brainstorming on common challenges and solutions, culminating in a final segment where cities were encouraged to refine their Food Policy Action Canvases (FPACs) with support from the Food Trails cities.
During the event, the MUFPP also welcomed new signatory cities in its network: Muratpaşa, Sarajevo and Taranto.
If you want to know more, you can read the report at this link
