Food Trails Webinar #1 - Why developing Urban Food Policies?

In this inaugural webinar, Prof. Paul Milbourne and Madeleine Coste were joined by project officers Carla Diviger from Bordeaux Métropole, France, and Olga Voutsikaki from Thessaloniki, Greece, to discuss the importance of urban food policies. Food in cities encompasses various aspects impacting the economy, society, culture, and environment. Viewing it through a systemic lens allows us to address challenges such as climate change, public health issues, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Urban food policies provide a framework for cities to enhance food access and sustainability efforts. This was greatly illustrated by the approach of both Bordeaux Métropole and the City of Thessaloniki. Bordeaux walked us through their steps to establish a Food Council and craft its first Urban Food Policy, while Thessaloniki presented how it leveraged its cultural ties to food and active food communities to launch their Food Policy Council. Both cities emphasized the importance of inclusive stakeholder engagement, demonstrating that effective food policies must embrace inclusivity.