Feeding Cities

The CLIC policy framework delivers on four pillars necessary for sustainable and healthy urban food policies. The first element is that of 'Co-benefits'. This highlights the need to pay attention to linkages between social, economic and environmental sustainability, and of the synergies between these within food systems, which policymakers must be aware of. The next pillar is that of 'Linkages'. This refers to geographical interconnections and the need, for example, for city planners to be aware of the effects that their actions may have on surrounding rural areas. The third pillar of the CLIC framework is that of 'Inclusion', and a focus on social inclusion. This pillar recognises that sustainable development is a democratic process which must involve citizens and prize the knowledge that they can bring to the table of food policy design. Finally, the final element of the framework is that of 'Connectivities'. This relates to the way in which food systems are connected with other areas of government and policymaking, marking it an area which must be addressed not from one policy, but across policies. The purpose of the four-part CLIC framework is to help policymakers and urban planners design sustainable and healthy food systems, while also providing a tool that can be used to monitor how effective food policy is in a holistic fashion, without relying solely on abstract data and indicators. The CLIC framework is an analytical framework - this means that it allows researchers to maintain a focus on how food policies are interacting with the multiple facets of sustainable development.

Presented by: Professor Roberta Sonnino, Professor of Sustainable Food Systems, Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey

Roberta Sonnino presentation Food System Transformation for a More Sustainable Future

Food system transformation: a progressive place-based approach

The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, originally signed in 2015, and a legacy of the Milan EXPO 2015, is an international pact signed by over 200 city mayors worldwide. The pact includes a 'Framework for Action' with 37 recommended actions across 6 categories (governance, sustainable diets and nutrition, social and economic equity, food production, food supply and distribution, and food waste), which cities work on to shape more sustainable, healthy urban food systems. The unique request of the Pact is for cities to implement innovative food policies which can transform the way that urban food systems work. The Pact supports the view that food systems should be part of urban planning concerns. Joining the pact also allows participating cities to exchange ideas and learn from what is working in food systems elsewhere in the world.

Presented by: Andrea Magarini, Food Policy Coordinator of Milan, Italy

Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Website

A new 'Birmingham Food System Strategy 2022 to 2030' has been created for the Birmingham region. The strategy has a focus on developing an affordable, nutritious and vibrant food system across the Birmingham region, ensuring that healthy and desirable food is accessible to all, thus supporting the health of the population. The food strategy focuses on the nine strategic areas of Food Production; Food sourcing; Food Transformation; Food Waste and Recycling; Food Economy and Employment; Food Skills and Knowledge; Food Behaviour Change; Food Security and Resilience; and Food Innovation, Partnerships and Research. The food strategy has been co-produced by a number of partners from citizens, food business, academia, government and others. The strategy is not an action plan, but instead a guide that hopes to provide a strategic direction to sustainably develop food systems in the city. Birmingham is one of the participating cities of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

Presented by: Councillor Paulette Hamilton, Councillor for the Holyhead Ward, Birmingham, and Member of Parliament for Erdington, Birmingham

Birmingham food strategy system

City Council Birmingham food strategy system

The 'EatSmart Cities Challenge' initiative was launched in India to encourage innovative 'smart cities' to redesign their urban food policies. The challenge launched in April 2021 and asked that cities develop a plan for their food systems that fosters sustainable and healthy food systems that have institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructural support. It also encourages policymakers to come up with innovative 'smart' solutions that can solve food-related concerns. The 11 winning Indian cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge have now joined the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, and receive exposure, funding and mentorship from the Indian government to implement their food policies.

Presented by: Shaleen Meelu, The Food Foundation, UK

Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Website

EatSmart Cities Challenge

In Milan, where school meals have been reinvented as part of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, changes have included limiting red meat and added sugars in school canteens. New recipes, such as soy ragu (to replace traditional pork ragu), and a lentil loaf have been pioneered. These changes have occurred alongside input from parents and children, with meals being proposed and tested in order to create menus that are both healthy and desirable to children in schools and kindergartens. Parental Commissions also participate in the process, helping to drive these changes with community input. The menu change occurs alongside an educational piece: teaching on healthy diets, and use of promotional materials which teach children about the health benefits of the food that they are eating using cartoon images. Another positive impact of the changes that have been made to school meals in Milan is a reduction in CO2 emissions. It is possible to see that the collaborative, citizen-led and inclusive nature of this approach has allowed for success in Milan.

Presented by: Andrea Magarini, Food Policy Coordinator of Milan, Italy

Milan cuts emissions through school lunches