Learnings on Territorialized Food Systems

Territorial approaches favour the agricultural and food transition. These experiences, known as “short channels” or “territorialized food projects,” reconnect the people who consume with those who produce and facilitate cooperation. They often opt for agroecological production models that generate employment. At the Foundation, we firmly believe in these approaches, which we have been committed to since 2014. That is why we have brought together throughout 2018, to compile and share their experiences, twenty-two projects that we support in France and Spain linked to these Territorialized Food Systems (TSS).

After a year of participatory meetings with all the projects that we have accompanied for several years (22 in total), we can today transfer the common learnings that we derive. We have captured them in several tools that will facilitate their dissemination: a “Carasso Notebook” that sets out the global vision of the transition in terms of territorialised food, individual project sheets that collect the most technical data on each one and short videos.

Find below, the experience of the city of Pamplona (Spain).

The project aims to supply the city’s nursery schools with organic and local products, accompanied by awareness-raising actions in the educational community.

“Pamplona’s food system project is based on public catering to drive global change.”

Find below the experience of the city of Navàs (Spain).

The project aims to promote change and tries to establish a food culture marked by the enhancement of the territory and the promotion of local products.

“A strategy based on citizen awareness, the strengthening of the productive sector and the establishment of governance.”

Find below the experience of the city of Valencia (Spain).

The project aims to build transition processes towards a fairer, more sustainable and resilient food system.

“This community structures the development of a sustainable food system by providing a strategic framework and a participatory structure: the Municipal Food Council”.

Find below, the experience of the Biovallée (Drôme, France).

The project aims to become an eco-territory of reference in terms of sustainable development.

“A historical dynamic driven by a rural community in which food policy and territorial policy converge towards sustainable development”.

Find below, the experience of Nantes Micromarchés (France).

The project aims to open a “multipurpose” space, with a social and solidarity economy model, to make quality local food accessible.

“A project supported by civil society that questions the economic accessibility of food within a metropolis”.

Find below, the experience of the “pays de Brocéliance” (France).

The project aims to accompany the food strategy of the “pays de Brocéliande” and draw lessons for other French territories.”

Specific actions of a territory accompanied by agents of development and research”.

Methodology

It took a year to undertake this work, which was coordinated by the AOConsulting teams and the Défis service (Development and expertise in engineering training for the south) of Montpellier SupAgro in France, and by the teams of the NGO Cerai (Center for Rural Studies and International Agriculture) in Spain.

Bibliography, interviews, participatory workshops to define the methodology, individual interviews, visits to projects, collective validation and debate… The experimental and participatory approach we chose seeks to take advantage of the experience of 22 projects or companions of territorial food projects in Spain and France. The analysis of their trajectories has revealed many aspects of interest. Collectively, the people responsible for the projects have prioritized and chosen the aspects that they considered essential, from their individual learning, for the success of a Territorialized Food System. Based on this matrix of research themes, an in-depth work has been carried out on the ground to collect the details of the experiences and testimonies.

We hope that this study will facilitate your work and be a source of inspiration that you can share and use to guide your actions towards sustainable food.

Photo © Istock – Magann

Vidéo © Pierre Fromentin