EU City Lab on Public Procurement for More Local, Seasonal and Sustainable Food

Join [u]s for the EU City Lab on Local Food Systems #2 by URBACT and European Urban Initiative!

• Food

Open to a wider public

Location

Liège , Belgium

Calender

29-30 May 2024

Organiser

URBACT Programme

Online registration is now closed! For any questions, click on this button

Join us in Liège to learn how public procurement can become a leverage for more sustainable local food systems! 

The EU City Lab on Local Food Systems #2 is a knowledge-sharing event co organised by URBACT and the European Urban Initiative (EUI), with support from the host municipality of Liège (Belgium). It will take place from 29 to 30 May 2024. 

The event will focus on Public Procurement for More Local, Seasonal and Sustainable Food. Through discussions and knowledge-sharing, thematic sessions, “walkshops” and group activities, the event aims to explore how public procurement can become a leverage for the sustainability transition of local food systems in European cities. 

This City Lab is a unique opportunity to:

- Find out how Liège succeeded in learning from peer cities and adopting new Good Practices in the field of collective school catering, as part of the URBACT BioCanteens#2 Transfer Network

- Discover the approaches experimented by other EU cities to foster public procurement as a leverage of sustainability in local food systems.

- Visit sites in Liège and exchange with locals about citywide food sustainability, citizen engagement actions and learning communities

- Improve your understanding of the EU landscape around local food systems

- Bring back home inspiring lessons and concrete tools to spur transformation in your city

The event will gather city representatives and urban policy experts from across Europe working on the green transition of local food systems.  

The Liège event is the second in a series of three EU City Labs on Local Food Systems:

- The EU City Lab #1 on Changing Habits for a Healthy and Sustainable Food System took place in Mouans-Sartoux, France, on 21-22 March 2024.

- The place and date of the EU City Lab #3 on the Sustainable Land Use for Agri-food will be announced soon.

Preliminary programme (download it here: English  |  French)

Practical information:

Participation is free. Travel and accommodation costs are the responsibility of the participants.

The event is in person only (remote participation will not be possible). All sessions will take place at the Cité administrative (Potiérue 5, Liège) – except for the inauguration on 28 May evening that will be at the Bâtiment Horizon (Av. Joseph Prévers 29).

Download here the full practical information for participants.

Readings & resources:

- Articles: 

    > Jégou, F., "Liège makes purchasing a key ingredient of a local and sustainable food ecosystem", 16 April 2024

- Slides shown during the event:

   > Main slideshow

   > World café session (day 2): Brussels Region | Linkoping | Milan

- Other resources:

   > EU Food City Lab #2 PRESS WALL curated by the students of SciencesPo