Madrid 2022
This Intensive Study Programme will focus on the potential for improving the sustainability of the local food system: addressing the governance and spatial implications of sustainable production and the cross-relations to nature protection and environmental/landscape quality in urban fringe areas.
The local context will be the city of Madrid as it is a member of the Spanish City-Food Network ‘Red de Ciudades por la Agroecología’, and there are several enterprises and social actors related to the local food sector. These vary from allotment gardens, community gardens, CSA, and social and economic enterprises for local food production in the urban fringe and region. These form new chains of food production and innovation in social entrepreneurship and social relationships. Urban food production contributes to social cohesion, local economy, and quality of life.
The city of Madrid signed Milano Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) in October 2015. Different municipal departments dealing with food issues, together with some relevant social and economic stakeholders confirm a Monitoring Table of the MUFPP since 2016 and the city adopted a Sustainable and Healthy Food Strategy 1st March 2018. Currently the city is developing two programs of Productive Neighbourhoods and Metropolitan Forest, in which urban agriculture plays a key role.
The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid works together with the Red de Ciudades por la Agroecología (Network of Local Authorities boosting Agroecology) and other social cooperatives and NGOs such Germinando (gives support to the monitoring table and the implementation of the Food Strategy) and Madrid Agroecológico (social platform seeking an agroecological transition in the Madrid region, which brings together a wide range of actors from both the rural and the urban worlds). The Observatory for the Guarantee of the Right to Food will provide the perspective of people at risk of food insecurity into the IP.
Important questions for the Intensive Programme are: Given that over 90% of food consumed in Madrid comes from outside the region, what are the main challenges of the metropolitan food system? How to intertwin scales, with ongoing strategies promoting agroecology and sustainable food system, from the neighbourhood to the regional one? How can agroecology and urban agriculture contribute to sustainable economic development? Which (spatial) strategies can be developed (for governance, local entrepreneurs, and agroecological and food movements) in order to achieve social and economic goals? Which business models are suitable in order to serve the needs of the local communities? How can agroecological programs be connected to public procurement and food aid programs? How can sustainable production be combined with the needs of the inhabitants and the potentials for food production?
These questions will be addressed during a 10 days workshop, by an international group of students, tutors, teachers and staff of the partner NGOs in collaboration with the local stakeholder groups.