Speaker
Description
Whilst cities increasingly develop urban food policies to promote sustainable food systems, the role of local food-sharing landscapes remains underexplored, particularly in understanding how diverse urban populations engage in food-sharing activities.
In response, this paper examines local food-sharing initiatives (FSIs) as key actors in engaging diverse communities. By analysing FSIs’ roles in both redistributing food and reshaping relationships with marginalised groups, the study explores how these initiatives address food needs outside formal welfare systems and contribute to a just food transition.
Framing FSIs as care infrastructure, the paper investigates how their location, form, and function explicitly respond to the needs of various groups in Milan, including individuals with disabilities, ex-prisoners, women, children, young people, people experiencing homelessness, refugees, migrants, ethnic minorities, older people, and those facing poverty and social disadvantage. Using mapped data that geolocates and categorises FSIs with a digital presence in Milan—alongside policy analysis, small-area statistics, and a detailed examination of FSI online profiles—the paper presents an urban-scale perspective on the FSI landscape and the communities it engages.
The findings reveal that FSIs in Milan operate across a range of activities, including redistribution, growing, eating, and cooking, supporting diverse communities. Importantly, FSIs go beyond merely addressing food insecurity; they seek to foster solidarity and cultivate convivial, equitable relationships with the communities they serve, acknowledging their distinct needs and knowledge. In doing so, FSIs lay the foundation for more inclusive and sustainable food communities.
This study highlights the need for greater recognition of FSIs and the inclusion of diverse groups as essential components of the urban food ecosystem. By integrating FSIs into urban food policies, researchers, planners, and policymakers can better address immediate food needs whilst advancing broader goals of social inclusion and sustainable urban transitions.
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
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