Networks and cities' news

Getting to know each other: our City Visits

Between August and September, The Lead Partner's Team had the chance to visit the BioCanteens #2 Partners in their cities: Evora (PT), Wroclaw (PO), Gavà (ES), and Liège (BE). City Visits allowed us to get a bite of the reality of the territory, the political implication, the production and consumption patterns, and the functioning of the school procurement system. Most importantly, it gave us the chance to establish a relationship to perpetuate our fruitful collaboration for the next months.

With the following paragraphs, we want you to be part of our journey: sharing observations, places, and initiatives.

Tiny Practical Steps for change: TransNational Meeting in Wroclaw, Poland

The 2nd Meeting of the BioCanteens#2 Transfer Network took place in Wroclaw, from the 22nd  to the 25th of November, under the theme "Micro Good Practices". The meeting gathered the four project staff of the four Cities (Mouans-Sartoux, Liège, Gavà and Wroclaw),  their respective kitchen staff, and local stakeholders.

Why should we all eat organic?

Why should we all consume more organic products? Together with the French researcher and expert Denis Lairon, we have discussed the main benefits of organic on human health as well as its impact on climate and environment 

Mouans-Sartoux and its Food Project - Interview to Gilles Perole

"Every region, every city, every department, every household should be able to define its own food sovereignty." (Gilles Perole, Deputy Mayor of Mouans Sartoux)

How BioCanteens accelerated local food initiatives in Liège? 

The particularity of the Transfer of Good Practices, promoted in the URBACT Transfer Networks, is that they play a different role depending on the Partner City. In some cases, it kicks starts a transformation process and helps  set the basis of a resilient project. In other cases, it is an accelerator of a local dynamic with a long history behind it. This is the case of Liège, the civil society and political panorama was already shaping a food policy framework at the local level. "BioCanteens#2 arrived at the perfect moment for us, because we were ready to quickly learn and react to innovation", says the Coordinator of BioCanteens#2 from the City of Liège. 

Local governmental committees (LGC) as a flagship of a democracy Our planned small-scale action with a long-term impact

There is an ongoing discussion of how to encourage people to take care about their town, neighborhoods or park, which they use every day while walking to the job. On that account one has to ask: Why do we not care about public spaces in the same way we tend to care about our flats or gardens? This question points to the very important fact, which is our sense for a common world, the one we all share together, and where “I and they” merge into one. Thus, the key role of Active citizens I see in advocating for this sense of common. To understand this will help us to build a stronger sense for participative principles and democracy. Who I perceive as a useful ally in this task are local governmental committees (Komise místní samosprávy in Czech). In response to that, our ULG sets as one of our long-term goals, to create a strong partnership with LGC in Hradec Králové. In the following lines, I would like to describe our tactics of how to involve members of LGC in Active citizens’projects and what pros we see in this cooperation.