Making Food Democracy is a collaborative research project between the University of Trento and the University of Padua, investigating the appearance and effectiveness of local food policies in urban contexts.
Employing a mix-methods approach, including documentary analysis, data scrutiny, interviews, and direct participation, the project investigates urban food governance dynamics and stakeholder engagement.
The project aims to produce actionable insights and policy recommendations to inform sustainable food governance practices, facilitating positive change towards more democratic, accessible, and environmentally sustainable food systems.
Food Democracy Goals
The Food Democracy Goals are a set of 13 + 1 objectives designed to drive the transition towards a fairer, more sustainable, and participatory food system at the local level. Inspired by the 2030 Agenda, these goals aim to integrate food into urban policies, strengthen community involvement in decision-making processes, and promote practices that ensure equitable food access, environmental sustainability, and local economic development.
Through tools like Food Policy Councils, the Food Democracy Goals seek to transform food from a mere commodity into a driver of social, economic, and environmental change, fostering collaboration among citizens, institutions, and producers to develop more integrated food policies.
Making food democracy in numbers
researchers
8
european countries
5
case studies
10
Project Objectives
The research project has three interconnected aims
Advancing Theoretical Debate
Contributing to advance the theoretical debate that links together sustainable food policies and the quality of local democracy.
Mapping Local Food Strategies on an European Level
Producing a comprehensive empirical analysis of local food strategies adopted by European cities to improve the sustainability of food systems.
Transfer the Knowledge to Trento and Padua
Transfer the knowledge learned at the European level to two Italian cities (Trento and Padua), adopting a living lab methodology.
Latest news
New synergies for food democracy
In october 2024, our Making Food Democracy project took an important[…]
