Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FOODCLIC (integrated urban FOOD policies – developing sustainability Co-benefits, spatial Linkages, social Inclusion and sectoral Connections to transform food systems in city-regions)
Período documentado: 2024-03-01 hasta 2025-08-31
The FoodCLIC project (2022-2027), aims to contribute to urban food environments that make healthy and sustainable food available, affordable and attractive to all citizens, including deprived and vulnerable groups. The project does so through creating strong science-policy-practice interfaces across eight European city-regions (45 towns and cities). The backbone of such interfaces is provided by Food Policy Networks. FoodCLIC supports these food policy networks to establish living labs as virtual and physical spaces for members of the food policy networks to understand the food system and co-design, implement, analyse and evaluate real-life interventions that aim to build a policy-relevant evidence-base through learning-in-action. In addition to realising actual changes in food environments, real-life interventions will help to uncover barriers to, and facilitators of, scaling processes and to identify innovative business models, investment schemes and conducive market conditions and land use plans.
Activities are informed by an innovative conceptual framework (the CLIC), which emphasises four desired outcomes of food system integration: sustainability co-benefits, spatial linkages, social inclusion and sectoral connectivities. Capacity-building and direct support for intensive multi-stakeholder engagement (including deprived and vulnerable groups) enable policy actors and urban planners across city-regions to develop continuously evolving integrated urban food policies and render planning frameworks food-sensitive.
FoodCLIC has six objectives that, together, are contributing to the realization of the project’s overall aim and vision:
1. To map urban food systems, policies and actions and analyze good practices in terms of integration, with a special focus on urban food environments and short supply chains.
2. To develop a reflexive monitoring framework and guidelines to help planners and policy-makers to understand the range of barriers to, and opportunities for, interventions that enhance urban food environments and the urban food system
3. To mobilize a wide range of food system actors across the SPPI and build their capacity to actively contribute to the development of integrated food policies and food-sensitive planning frameworks.
4. To develop, implement, monitor, evaluate and redevelop evidence-based integrated urban food policies and planning frameworks that realize food environments able to deliver co-benefits in terms of health, climate, circularity, inclusion and the empowerment of communities.
5. To build a pan-European knowledge base for evidence-based integrated urban food policies and food-sensitive planning frameworks, including a range of implementation actions.
6. To strengthen existing and create new networks of cities and towns.
Activities are informed by an innovative conceptual framework (the CLIC), which emphasises four desired outcomes of food system integration: sustainability co-benefits, spatial linkages, social inclusion and sectoral connectivities. Capacity-building and direct support for intensive multi-stakeholder engagement (including deprived and vulnerable groups) enable policy actors and urban planners across city-regions to develop continuously evolving integrated urban food policies and render planning frameworks food-sensitive.
FoodCLIC has six objectives that, together, are contributing to the realization of the project’s overall aim and vision:
1. To map urban food systems, policies and actions and analyze good practices in terms of integration, with a special focus on urban food environments and short supply chains.
2. To develop a reflexive monitoring framework and guidelines to help planners and policy-makers to understand the range of barriers to, and opportunities for, interventions that enhance urban food environments and the urban food system
3. To mobilize a wide range of food system actors across the SPPI and build their capacity to actively contribute to the development of integrated food policies and food-sensitive planning frameworks.
4. To develop, implement, monitor, evaluate and redevelop evidence-based integrated urban food policies and planning frameworks that realize food environments able to deliver co-benefits in terms of health, climate, circularity, inclusion and the empowerment of communities.
5. To build a pan-European knowledge base for evidence-based integrated urban food policies and food-sensitive planning frameworks, including a range of implementation actions.
6. To strengthen existing and create new networks of cities and towns.
Phase 1 – Preparation and Stakeholder Mobilization
Eight Living Labs were established, with guidelines and training developed for stakeholder analysis, food policy mapping, and system understanding. Work began on the Reflexive Monitoring and Dynamic Evaluation (RMDE) framework and analysis of good practices.
Phase 2 – Food System Analysis and Visioning
Living Labs mapped stakeholders, policies, and networks, and held multi-stakeholder workshops to build shared visions. Development of the Food Sustainability Tool began, alongside continuous support and training on governance, system analysis, and ethics.
Phase 3 – Strategic Planning and Co-design
Guidelines and training supported co-design of real-life interventions and strategic planning. Workshops identified pathways for integrated city-region food strategies, and interviews with policy networks explored solutions to systemic barriers.
Phase 4 – Implementation
Real-life interventions and the monitoring framework are being rolled out across participating regions.
Phase 5 – Anchoring and Broadening
A high-level international Think Tank and a European Food Policy Network platform were launched, alongside a Higher Education Institution network. The project’s reach expanded, with eight additional city-regions joining the strategizing process.
Eight Living Labs were established, with guidelines and training developed for stakeholder analysis, food policy mapping, and system understanding. Work began on the Reflexive Monitoring and Dynamic Evaluation (RMDE) framework and analysis of good practices.
Phase 2 – Food System Analysis and Visioning
Living Labs mapped stakeholders, policies, and networks, and held multi-stakeholder workshops to build shared visions. Development of the Food Sustainability Tool began, alongside continuous support and training on governance, system analysis, and ethics.
Phase 3 – Strategic Planning and Co-design
Guidelines and training supported co-design of real-life interventions and strategic planning. Workshops identified pathways for integrated city-region food strategies, and interviews with policy networks explored solutions to systemic barriers.
Phase 4 – Implementation
Real-life interventions and the monitoring framework are being rolled out across participating regions.
Phase 5 – Anchoring and Broadening
A high-level international Think Tank and a European Food Policy Network platform were launched, alongside a Higher Education Institution network. The project’s reach expanded, with eight additional city-regions joining the strategizing process.
Cluster I – Laying the Foundation
In its first phase, FoodCLIC built strong stakeholder networks and capacities across eight European city-regions. Over 300 representatives from academia, civil society, business, and government, plus 2,000 citizens—including vulnerable groups—took part in co-creation workshops. Twenty Living Lab members were trained in stakeholder engagement, planning, and co-design, laying the groundwork for inclusive food system transformation.
Cluster II – Building the Foundations: Better Evidence
The second phase implemented 35 real-life interventions (RLIs) in eight Living Labs with 175 stakeholder groups, addressing food literacy, waste reduction, urban gardening, short food chains, and food poverty. The Reflexive Monitoring and Dynamic Evaluation (RMDE) framework guided adaptive progress tracking. Despite administrative and political barriers, most labs advanced, forming Communities of Practice (109 policymakers) and developing new food strategies, roles, and networks (e.g. Amsterdam’s Food Strategy 2.0 Braşov’s Food Policy Network).
Community engagement and education deepened inclusion and awareness, improving food access in deprived areas.
Tools and frameworks such as the Food Sustainability Tool (launching 2025) and the CLIC framework support systems thinking. FoodCLIC also launched a European FPN platform and a HEI network, expanding to eight new city-regions in Europe and Africa.
Cluster III – Building on the Foundations: Better Policy and Planning
The third phase links evidence and policymaking through iterative co-production of integrated food strategies.
FoodCLIC is working towards strong foundation for food system transformation through multi-stakeholder engagement, real-life interventions, and policy innovation.
In its first phase, FoodCLIC built strong stakeholder networks and capacities across eight European city-regions. Over 300 representatives from academia, civil society, business, and government, plus 2,000 citizens—including vulnerable groups—took part in co-creation workshops. Twenty Living Lab members were trained in stakeholder engagement, planning, and co-design, laying the groundwork for inclusive food system transformation.
Cluster II – Building the Foundations: Better Evidence
The second phase implemented 35 real-life interventions (RLIs) in eight Living Labs with 175 stakeholder groups, addressing food literacy, waste reduction, urban gardening, short food chains, and food poverty. The Reflexive Monitoring and Dynamic Evaluation (RMDE) framework guided adaptive progress tracking. Despite administrative and political barriers, most labs advanced, forming Communities of Practice (109 policymakers) and developing new food strategies, roles, and networks (e.g. Amsterdam’s Food Strategy 2.0 Braşov’s Food Policy Network).
Community engagement and education deepened inclusion and awareness, improving food access in deprived areas.
Tools and frameworks such as the Food Sustainability Tool (launching 2025) and the CLIC framework support systems thinking. FoodCLIC also launched a European FPN platform and a HEI network, expanding to eight new city-regions in Europe and Africa.
Cluster III – Building on the Foundations: Better Policy and Planning
The third phase links evidence and policymaking through iterative co-production of integrated food strategies.
FoodCLIC is working towards strong foundation for food system transformation through multi-stakeholder engagement, real-life interventions, and policy innovation.