Food Policy
Fondazione Cariplo supports municipal administrations that intend to develop an urban food policy via a pathway of growth and planning. In July 2014, the Municipality of Milan and Fondazione Cariplo signed an agreement to define and adopt the Food Policy of the city of Milan. The objectives identified five priorities of focus:
- ensuring access to healthy food
- encouraging production sustainability
- promoting food education
- combating food waste
- supporting scientific research
In this context, the Municipality and Fondazione Cariplo perform functions of co-ordination, stimulation and facilitation with respect to the various forms of social, technological and organisational innovation, in accordance with the principles of the Food Policy and to assist in implementing its guidelines. Over time, the Milan Food Policy has produced significant results, including about 75,000 children receiving hot meals in school canteens, the reduction of CO₂ emissions in school catering by 34% and the activation of eight Neighbourhood Hubs to combat food waste.
The model adopted in Milan was subsequently extended to the city of Bergamo, where a similar process of defining and implementing the Food Policy has been active since 2019; its features include a strong local dimension, the approval of a city manifesto, inclusion in the planning guidelines and the creation of a local network to combat food waste.
The issue of Food Policy has now taken on a supra-local dimension. At Expo 2015, Milan – together with over fifty international mayors – promoted and signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). Currently, the MUFPP has more than 270 signatory cities, representing a population of more than 500 million people. Milan is recognised for its role in urban food policies. Fondazione Cariplo continues to support the initiative, aiming to increase cities’ capacity to handle food challenges and promote adaptable, replicable models in different contexts.