Experiences of ten European cities collaborating toward sustainable food governance in an URBACT network

The URBACT II thematic network Sustainable Food in Urban Communities – Developing low-carbon and resource-efficient urban food systems (URBACT, 2012-2015) brings together ten European cities looking for joint, effective and sustainable solutions to develop low-carbon and resource-efficient urban food systems (Figure 16.1). The URBACT process involved regular transnational exchanges between the ten cities over a period of three years and provided a framework for each city to establish a Local Support Group of key stakeholders in order to collaboratively build sustainable food governance and a related local action plan. The cities of our network offer a fascinating variety in terms of (1) demographics and scale of urbanisation; (2) land and territory; (3) food culture; and (4) levels of engagement in food system sustainability.