When Eating City platform 2010-2014 was launched, 2015 has been highlighted as the year of Expo, an exceptional opportunity to foster global conversation on sustainable food issues, always focusing on the need to get ready to deliver a clear message during EXPO time.
We come out of this period with a consolidated vision that sustainable food systems are not possible without the application of a principle of transparency and interdiscplinarity as well as the reinforcement of local development where people well being and not only environment become a priority in the new economical system.
No doubt that the valuable policy statements presented here (but not only), endorsed by many authoritative experts and decision makers will enrich our activities and provide a new baseline for exchanges and collaborations in the coming years.
October 13 : The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) has adopted a set of 10 principles to guide the transition to sustainable food systems.
This transdisciplinary and independent experts working group aims to support, inform and advise the policy debate on how to reform food systems across the world. They recently adopted a set of 10 principles as a roadmap to underpin their work. These inspriring principles either describe the types of knowledge and analysis that are required either describe the values that needed to shape the sustainable food systems of the future.
October 15 : More than 100 mayors signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
The initiative of the city of Milan shows the potential of cities to foster negociation on global agrements. Indeed cities worldwide may illuminate the path for new models of cooperation. For instance the creation of the network of cities signing the pact will generate a unique and incredibly rich space to share experiences and lessons learned with other mayors and to spread the best ideas around the world. See more on www.foodpolicymilano.org
October 16 : the Third World Forum of Local Economic Development (LED) released a Final Declaration
This document has been finalized after an event which involved almost 2000 participants coming from 130 different countries. It reflects the debates, exchange of experiences and the sharing of good practices which have been characterizing the works of the Forum. A shared vision of local economic development at the global level has been reaffirmed in which LED is promoted as an effective means to achieve sustainable development as well as the new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) officially launched last September.
We are grateful to the broad advocacy movement who made all of this possible.
In such a vision we fully recognize our commitment “to contribute to the construction of a new economic paradigm that aims to place again human labor at the center of economy and to consider the environment among the entrepreneurial decision variables, in order to develop a new culture of doing Business“.
Certainly, this important legacy will inspire the objectives of Eating City platform for the period 2015- 2020, as a new baseline to take action to implement sustainable food systems everywhere and to continue to give voice to youth and call on local authorities to foster multi-stakeholders dialogue. Starting as soon as next November 2015, within the conference : “Urban food policies : markets, catering, urban/rural connexions“, an international meeting dedicated to sharing knowledge and practices among local governments of cities and urban regions from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, along with research and development actors.