AESOP4Food Spring Seminar 2026
Course schedule
AESOP4Food continues with an online Seminar on Sustainable Food Planning in the Spring of 2026.
This open-access seminar offers a structured learning format to strengthen your understanding of food systems and planning approaches, with a focus on sustainable food planning and agroecological urbanism.
The course will take place from 26 February until mid-March 2026 with an optional assignment track until 30 April 2026. The sessions will be on Thursdays from 17:00 until 18:15 CET.
session February 26
Introduction to the course, the main challenges for developing sustainable food systems, the position of the planner for transformative actions.
The slides of the presentation can be viewed here.
session March 5, 2026
Current developments in sustainable food planning, de EAT-Lancet report relating diets to planetary boundaries, food as a commodity in world trade.
session March 12, 2026
Research and planning approaches, principles of Participatory Action Research, starting and organising living labs, steps of Design Thinking, methods for collaborative goal setting and evaluation.
session March 19,2026
The approach of an Agroecological Urbanism, the building blocks and how they may be applied. Productive Housing Estate, Land & Market Access Incubator, Landed Community Kitchen, Political Pedagogies, Healthy Soilscape, Territorial Food Hub, Agroecological Park, Farming the Fragemented Land. Exemplary case studies of some of the blocks.
Two participation modes
lecture mode
Registered participants can attend the sessions and are expected to take part in discussions and the interactive parts. For this, no certificate will be issued.
assignment mode
Participants develop a short assignment that is linked to one building block of agroecological urbanism. They choose the building block when registering and define their working area. They will receive advice during three tutoring/feedback sessions starting from March 26 until April 30, 2026. It is recommended that they choose the subject of the assignment related to their field of study, current work, or activities. A certificate can be issued by LE:NOTRE Institute after a positive assessment of a 15-minute presentation and a short written report.
required results of the assignment
Upon registration in assignment mode, participants will receive further instructions for their work.
Written report
Uploading a written report of 3-4 pages on the assignment containing the following sections:
- A description of the chosen building block and the subject, object, area or situation to which it will be applied (with scope, location)
- The main aim of the assignment.
- A plan with the steps that will be undertaken to complete the assignment with allocated time: for instance, 1. Desk research on xx, 2. Interviews with xxx, etc.
- Methods of analysis, mapping and evaluation with the results, e.g. the challenges, the power system
- Selection of the main challenge(s) to address
- An approach, strategy, prototype with some proposals.
- Self-reflection on process, the results, own values and one’s own position.
Presentation
- Uploading a presentation (PowerPoint or other multimedia presentation mode) of the elements of the assignment.
- Giving an online presentation of 15 minutes to assessor(s). Someone else of your own choice can be present.
Registration is closed for the course in 2026
The registration is closed now.
Participants in lecture mode will receive information for the first session that takes place on Thursday, February 26, starting at 17h00 CET.
Participants who will work on their self formulated assignement will receive the framework for the assignment on February 17th by mail.
For any questions, please send an email to office[at]ln-institute.org.
Future Outlook - Communities of Practice
If there are participants who intend to continue working on approaches to one of the building blocks, we have the idea to organise communities of practice with them.