17/12/2020 - 16:13
Food. Government measure for sustainable food.
The government measure for sustainable food outlines the different spheres of action and projects for the city for 2021, when it will be the World Sustainable Food Capital. The budget for the project is nearly ten million euros.
The measure includes the seventh edition of the Global Forum and the Milan Pact Talks, the organisation of Sustainable Food Week, the drafting of the 2030 Food Strategy and over ninety actions in different areas, along with projects by organisations in the food sector subsidised via the ‘Impulsem el que fas’ call.
Six spheres of action
- Healthy and sustainable diets, accessible to everybody, in the City Council’s public procurement and in education programmes to promote sustainable food in the city’s schools. Entitled ‘Alimenta’, the project also works towards a joint production model for policies with social entities and guarantees the supply of local organic seasonal produce at affordable prices for everybody, through short distribution circuits guaranteeing fair trade for producers.
- More organic local produce with a short distribution circuit: the presence and visibility of local organic produce with short distribution circuits will be increased at municipal markets, at the Mercabarna wholesale market and in the city’s shops and restaurants. There will also be support for improved distribution and logistics strategies for these types of products. Another challenge is to get the Biomarket working as the first wholesale market in Spain exclusively for organic produce.
- An agro-organic transition in the city: this includes the promotion of urban agriculture by organisations and individuals; more space for allotments in the city; reference spaces for urban and organic agriculture; legal facilitation of agro-farming in Barcelona and the promotion of sustainable land management through farming activity, including fire prevention. One of the most participatory projects is by Agròpolis, a public and community space where social stakeholders and the public administration participate. The goals here include the protection of the last agricultural property in Barcelona in the neighbourhood of Vallbona, with an exemplary agro-organic project.
- Seventh Global Forum and Milan Pact Talks: the organisation of the Global Forum and Milan Pact Talks, from 19 to 21 October 2021, is the pinnacle of the year as the World Sustainable Food Capital. The event will focus on the connection between food and the climate crisis and in strategic terms comes just a few days before the UN climate change summit in Glasgow in 2021. The forum will be preceded by Sustainable Food Week, to get the general public involved.
- 2030 Food Strategy: this will be the result of the whole year as the food capital and bring together input from relevant social stakeholders and individuals in a participatory process. It will also be in line with the city’s sustainable development goals.
- Make sustainable food a cross-cutting aspect in municipal policy: in local development policies for neighbourhoods, in internal training and communication and in economic promotion, with economic backing though subsidy calls for companies and organisations linked with sustainable food.
