Governance Sustainable diets and nutrition Social and economic equity Food production Food supply and distribution Food waste

Governance

Ensuring an enabling environment for effective action

The main focus for The Barcelona Challenge in this category is to establish coherent and participative governance mechanisms that allow for the co-production of public policies on climate, food justice, nutrition security and nature, in order to strengthen food systems resilience in the face of extreme climate events, and include food in local Climate Action Plans.

The following or other similar actions can be developed by cities:

Action 1.1

Create a working group/Department responsible for coordinating sustainable and healthy food policies within local government, ensuring transversal cooperation between at least the following municipal departments: economic development, health, environment, education, security, social rights and equality, in order to strengthen the agro-ecological transition, provide multilevel policy coherence, whilst ensuring urban/rural partnership.

Action 1.2

Strengthen stable partnerships and cooperation between local administrations and civil society, community organisations, business sectors and other stakeholders committed to ensuring the right to food for all, through the co-production of just, healthy, nutritious and sustainable food policies.

Action 1.3

Actively work with international platforms and networks and commit to declarations of action aimed at improving the sustainability of local food systems (such as MUFPP, C40, national networks or/and Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration).

Action 1.4

Reinforce municipal commitments by establishing a roadmap to ensure access to sustainable food and diets for all, with a particular focus on food-vulnerable people, to be implemented once a state of climate emergency has been declared.

Action 1.5

Embed food and climate nexus in existing municipal policies, plans and strategies.

Action 1.6

Commit to a quantitative reduction in GHG emissions in the agri-food system by 2030.

Sustainable diets and nutrition

The main focus is to ensure the transition to sufficient, sustainable, nutritious and culturally appropriate diets for the entire population, in line with the Planetary Health Diet guidelines by increasing overall healthy plant-based food consumption and fully aligning public food procurement with the Planetary Health Diet by 2030.

The following or other similar actions can be developed by cities:

Action 2.1

Procure Planetary Health Diet alignment of compliant foods for all public sector catering (school canteens, hospitals and other public bodies).

Action 2.2

Run campaigns to raise public awareness and to commit residents to the Planetary Health Diet or a similar diet based on locally produced, sustainable and healthy food, rich in plant-based foods (fruit, vegetables, cereals, legumes and nuts), with a reduced consumption of meat and dairy and ultra-processed food high in fat, sugar and salt.

Action 2.3

Encourage distinction of types of livestock production systems (industrial, agroecological) and their impact on the environment, landscape, health, etc.

Action 2.4

Promote the adoption of the Planetary Health Diet or a similar one in the hospitality sector by putting sustainable and healthy food on the menu of hotels, restaurants and cafés, and in the food service industry as a whole.

Action 2.5

Ban or limit advertisement on unhealthy foods and also ban or limit exposure to unhealthy foods (i.e. healthy food environments around schools).

Food production

The main focus is to promote sustainable, socially fair and equitable forms of production and processing of local, healthy food by ensuring the territorial planning and management of local resources.

The following or other similar actions can be developed by cities:

Action 4.1

Train farmers in organic and agro-ecological production practices.

Action 4.2

Promote multifunctional peri-urban agricultural parks that incorporate land banks, farm business incubators and community seed banks, which will promote sustainable agri-food production and boost local food supply.

Action 4.3

Promote efficient and sustainable water consumption, which includes the use of reclaimed water in gardening and local agricultural production.

Action 4.4

Promote green infrastructure networks, open spaces and ecological corridors (hedges, urban gardens, etc.) that are connected to sustainable urban and rural agricultural activities.

Food supply and distribution

The main focus is to re-territorialise and restructure socially and economically viable food distribution and logistics networks (via wholesale, municipal or farmers markets, local food networks, small food retailers and public food procurement services) to adapt them to extreme events and to reduce impact on nature and communities.

The following or other similar actions can be developed by cities:

Action 5.1

Organise and activate the necessary logistics, infrastructure and resources to supply, distribute and prepare local, nutritious and organic food, in line with the right to food guidelines and the Planetary Health Diet or a similar diet for the needs of public food procurement (school canteens, hospitals and other public bodies).

Action 5.2

Provide public and accessible spaces for the distribution of local, nutritious and organic produce: wholesale, municipal or farmers markets; local food networks; small food retailers, etc.

Action 5.3

Produce updated maps and online directories of local agro-ecological food supply chain actors, including producers, processing units and distribution points.

Action 5.4

Provide and improve urban infrastructure (traffic-free streets, cycle lanes) for the non-motorised home delivery of local and sustainable food, support local community distribution networks, especially during extreme climate events.

Food waste

The main focus is to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030 (from a 2015 baseline), and reuse and recycle food waste and other food-related waste.

The following or other similar actions can be developed by cities:

Action 6.1

Organise communication campaigns to encourage consumers to change their habits in order to prevent food loss and waste.

Action 6.2

Develop a regulatory framework that limits food waste and practices that increase it, throughout the supply chain (i.e. for producers, processors, the food service industry, and retailers).

Action 6.3

Implement distinct food waste collection systems in hotels, restaurants, the catering sector, schools, hospitals and households, by introducing the necessary logistical developments. Ensure clear information and specific infrastructure (bins, compostable bags, etc.), particularly at the early stages of implementation in order to facilitate the adoption of the scheme.

Action 6.4

Support the development of composting systems (to obtain organic fertiliser), systems that transform urban food waste into animal feed, and/or energy recovery plants (through which biogas and biomethane can be obtained).

Action 6.5

Support business initiatives that reduce packing, promote the reuse of packaging and develop and use sustainable packaging alternatives that reduce plastics throughout the food supply chain.