Food connects people, it can nourish connections between citizens. Many small- and medium sized cities face challenges of people feeling less connected to the city they live in then before. Connecting citizens, business, education and visitors through a common love for food allows to address many challenges that these cities face.

The partners approach socio-environmental challenges through a ESG (environmental, social, governance) framework focused on food. The ESG framework allows to bring a private sector concept and its principles into  the public sector, strengthening the impact through using municipal government roles.[1]

Environmental

• A municipal role can be to adopt supply chain management policies - local consumption and sustainable production choices: farm to fork. (GREEN)
• Circular approaches to food waste and production/packaging & transport.

Social

• The partners aim for healthy affordable and accessible food for all citizens (inclusivity of vulnerable groups).
• The partners aim to develop an action plan where the policy topic food allows to connect people. The action plans that will be developed are food strategies as a basis for social and economic cohesion.
• Food education allows to connect young students with job perspectives in the sector, ensuring future skilled labour and quality jobs in the city/area. Specific focus will be set on encouraging girls to take up an education in the food processing and agricultural sector. (GENDER)

 

Governance

• An important role of city governments is facilitating partnerships between the actors within the city. This role can be described as ecosystem governance.
• This includes economic connections and the stimulation of development and innovation through connecting stakeholders of the quadruple helix. The economic component includes the stimulation of smart and digital solutions in the food production and processing sector (integration of AI/robotics/...) and the translation of these new techniques into the educational system. (DIGITAL)

Bo Vanbesien