Fostering Cultivated Biodiversity through Local Food Policies

Milan hosted the preparatory meeting for the European Symposium on Cultivated Biodiversity and Municipal Policy to be held in Granollers

The European Symposium on Cultivated Biodiversity and Municipal Policy will take place in Granollers (Barcelona) in spring 2025, bringing together key European actors in agroecology and sustainable food systems.

On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Milan hosted a significant event focused on integrating cultivated biodiversity into local food policies. This event was part of the LiveSeeding project and aimed to raise awareness and promote the implementation of agroecological and organic local food systems.

The event, titled “Fostering Cultivated Biodiversity through Local Food Policies,“ brought together representatives from cities such as Granollers (Spain), Milan (Italy), Rennes (France), Geneva (Switzerland), and Scandicci (Italy), as well as international organisations like FAO, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and RUAF-Urban Agriculture and Food Systems.

Key speakers included Mariano Iossa, LiveSeeding coordinator, and María Carrascosa, from the Network of Municipalities for Agroecology (RMAe), who presented the progress of the project. The event also featured a session on local food policies with a focus on cultivated biodiversity, where municipal representatives from the participating cities shared their experiences.

Upcoming activities

As part of the upcoming actions of the LiveSeeding project, a dedicated session on promoting cultivated biodiversity through local food policies will be held during the Annual Meeting of the Network of Municipalities for Agroecology (RMAe) from October 3 to 5, 2024, consolidating this line of work within the organization.

In addition, a training webinar will be held in January 2025, and in spring, Granollers (Barcelona) will host the EU Symposium “Fostering Cultivated Biodiversity through Local Food Policies. Municipal Action to Accelerate Organic and Agroecological-Oriented Food Systems,” a key milestone of the project that will gather prominent European actors. Additionally, a preparatory meeting for the symposium will take place in Brussels in the autumn of 2024, allowing more cities and organizations to participate in this joint effort.

These initiatives reinforce the commitment of European municipalities to creating more sustainable and resilient food systems, highlighting the importance of cultivated biodiversity at the local level.