Bottom-up process to establish an integrated food policy – Rome, Italy

Key Insights

  • Bottom-up planning
  • Securing local government buy-in
  • Integrated food policy

Summary

On 27 April 2021, the municipal assembly of the city of Rome unanimously approved a resolution committing it to establish a food policy for the Italian capital. Resolution 38, ‘Approval of actions and instruments for the implementation of a food policy for metropolitan Rome’, is a landmark achievement of a bottom-up process involving over 50 organisations, that sought to secure buy-in from policy makers to develop an integrated food policy that both addresses food-related challenges and leverages existing food system strengths to help tackle other urban challenges.

Citation

This case study version is from FoodActionCities Website platform, 2021. Suggested citation: Part of FoodActionCities.org Case studies, GAIN, MUFPP and RUAF.

Celebrating approval of the Food Policy

The action and its aims

In Rome, Italy, a bottom-up process involving over 50 organisations has sought to secure buy-in from policy makers to develop an integrated food policy for the Italian capital. The aim is to bring more coordination and systemic thinking to the urban food system, both to address food and farming issues and to leverage existing strengths to help tackle other urban challenges.

Why it was needed

Rome made a commitment to develop an integrated food policy under the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, which it signed in 2016. Over 45% – 58,000 ha – of the municipal area is agricultural land, but farmers face multiple threats, including land use changes, farm consolidation, and cognitive disconnect between consumers and their food sources. While there are many existing food-related initiatives to re-engage citizens of Rome and reignite the debate on sustainable, healthy and local food, there has tended to be little coordination between them.

Who initiated it, who is involved

The process began in 2018 with a discussion between Professor Davide Marino from Roma Tre University and Terra, a local environmental NGO, who then engaged a handful of other organisations and academics to conduct mapping and analysis of Rome’s food system. The group subsequently grew to involve over 50 organisations and individuals, including academics, farmers, agricultural and environmental associations, civil society, and sustainable development networks, who commented on the draft analysis and draw up priority action areas. In addition, representatives of the trade and environment departments of the municipality were engaged in October 2019. 

Outcome/how it strengthened coordination

The mapping and analysis of Rome’s food system provided a framework for development of the integrated food policy by giving a better understanding of challenges, key issues to address and the priority actions that need to be taken by the city and its network. The advocacy process came to fruition on 27 April 2021, when the municipal assembly unanimously approved Resolution 38, ‘Approval of actions and instruments for the implementation of a food policy for metropolitan Rome’. The resolution includes the establishment of Food Policy Council made up of both non-governmental stakeholders and representatives of relevant municipal departments, with formal terms of reference.

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