FoodSHIFT2030 Consortium Reunion!

31 August 2022

FoodSHIFT2030 Consortium Reunion!

The pandemic period influenced each project, also FoodSHIFT2030. After two years, finally, the representatives of the whole consortium met in Wroc?aw (Poland) during WRO LAB Showcase and Roundtable. The meeting took place from 20^th till 22^nd June. The main focus of the meeting was to present the WRO FAL progress, plans, and challenges, as well as catch up with ongoing and planned tasks within Work Packages.

The first day of the Showcase, June 20^th, was focused on the presentation of WRO FAL – what is behind them and what lies ahead. Some successful stories were presented, such as establishing more edible gardens at schools as the citizen interest was significant. Therefore, the Wroc?aw Municipality found additional funds to meet the needs and interest in FoodSHIFT2030 schools’ edible gardens. Moreover, the Municipality of Wroc?aw joined the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact!

Among other stories worth mentioning was the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) which was established at the Wroc?aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (WUELS). This is a unique example of CSA where 100 employees of the university are taking food boxes (veggies & fruits) produced by the university. And, as researchers from WUELS said, there could not have been a better place to start the creation of a CSA than a natural science university. More FoodSHIFT2030 direct and indirect impacts on the food system in Wroc?aw were presented, i.e. two student projects carried out by the Student Scientific Organization of spatial planning PUZZLE from WUELS. PUZZLE decided to compete for funds for the realization of two community gardens – for seniors (2020) and the school community (2021). These projects have received funding under the Student Activities Fund from the Wroclaw Academic Center (FAST, WCA).

One of the most interesting events of the first day was a panel discussion with food innovators. Food innovators each shared stories about their activities, successes, and challenges. Each of them also discussed what assumptions are behind the activities of their initiative.

The second day of Showcase, June 21^st, was focused on shared learning experiences and knowledge transfer from the WRO FAL. Therefore, two local visits have taken place: one to the school edible garden established within Foodshift2030, and the other one to the community garden – O?bin’s Open Garden (org. O?bi?ski Ogród Otwarty – OOO), the first well-established and functioning community garden in Wroc?aw, as well as the WRO FAL food innovator. The visit to OOO allowed obtaining feedback on what FoodSHIFT2030 activities could target this type of food innovator (ie. training on how to keep community members engaged and manage people, tasks within this type of initiative). As at the last RT, we learned local ways of making food. One of the WRO FAL food innovators, Tajfun Restaurant, prepared a workshop for us on pickling (fermentation) – a traditional Polish way of preparing food for the autumn-winter season. During the first and second day of the meeting, we were accompanied by local products (vegetables, fruits, preserves, goat cheeses, and vegan cheese alternatives – made from sunflower seeds) provided by WRO FAL food innovators.

Source of Photo: Fundacja EkoRozwoju, photo by Arkadiusz Wierzba.

After WRO LAB Showcase, it was time for activities related to WPs, i.e. first results from a network analysis of food system actors were presented, or the potential of Metropolitan Foodscape Planner (MFP) together with MapTable has been presented.

The background of the meeting was ensured by: Odra Centrum – a sustainable meeting place on water dealing with the protection of water and environment by education and other dedicated actions; vegetarian/vegan, local, seasonal food; public transport or electric scooters using; selection of accommodation taking care about the environment. The undertaken background was important to be consistent with the project’s main goals: shifting to a more plant-based diet and low carbon emissions.