“Unlocking Europe’s urban agriculture potential”
FOODCITYBOOST, a groundbreaking initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme, which aims to promote urban farming in Europe, achieved an important milestone with its first physical meeting. Hosted at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam campus between 3 April 2024 and 5 April 2024, the consortium’s gathering marked the beginning of a collaborative journey to revolutionize urban agriculture within the European Union. The EU-Funded project officially commenced activities with its digital Kick-Off launching on 30 January 2024. The recent meeting served as an opportunity for the partners to come together and discuss matters of great significance and solidify the project’s foundations.
As the project coordinator Pierre Chopin from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stated, “Urban gardens, rooftop agriculture, and indoor cultivation under LED lights are versatile agricultural systems that have become integral parts of the food system and the lives of European citizens. However, the numerous benefits they provide and the ways in which policies can support and guide their development still need further elaboration and support. The FOODCITYBOOST project aims to explore the current and future conditions influencing the growth of urban agriculture, as well as the potential impacts of its development in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. Over the course of four years, a collaboration of 20 partners, including universities, NGOs, and policy-making agencies in nine countries, will work together to engage with multiple stakeholders to boost the sustainable development of urban and peri-urban agriculture for all.”
An exhilarating three-day journey of inspiring sessions!
The first day began by setting the stage for fruitful discussions among the partnership. The two first sessions delved into the core components of the project, which started with a comprehensive overview and coordination session led by the project’s coordinator Pierre Chopin. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity on project objectives. After the introductory sessions, reframe.food’s Grigoris Chatzikostas led a session which covered the project’s identity, exploitation, communication strategies, and methods to ensure its effective outreach and engagement.
The European Union’s project and policy officers presented the project’s alignment with broader policy objectives and focused on the key points required to ensure its success.Vincent O’Connell from Peri-Urban Regions Platform Europe, set the scene for FOODCITYBOOST’s Living Labs on the second day. He was followed by representatives of each lab, who covered their history, roles, expectations, and limitations. Afterwards, three sessions occurred, which covered the urban agriculture social, economic, and environmental data analysis and assessment, led by Jan-Eelco Jansma from the Wageningen University and Research, Verónica Arcas Pilz from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and Beatrice Walthall from the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research.
On the last day, Anna Kirstgen from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Haïssam Jijakli from the University of Liège, and Nynke Schulp from VU Amsterdam presented sessions on the future trends influencing Europe’s urban farming initiatives, co-designing innovative urban agriculture systems, and assessing the local and large-scale impact of urban farming development. This led to a series of sessions to plan actions for the upcoming weeks, and everyone engaged in discussions and Q&A sessions to gain deeper insight into project methodologies and objectives.
Overall, a great start!
Lastly, a “World Café Session” was hosted, where local groups’ needs were discussed and assessed, and the appropriate assessment methodologies were covered. This wrapped up with Chopin expressing his satisfaction with the overall levels of the consortium’s enthusiasm and collaboration, and the meeting’s fruitful outcomes. Indeed, it was great start for FOODCITYBOOST!
To learn more about the FOODCITYBOOST project feel free to check our website at: www.foodcityboost.eu and follow us on social media.
Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.