Sophie Michel, associate professors at EMSBS, organized a seminar entitled "Enacting a Sustainable Regional Food System", which took place on Friday, May 6.
This event is part of the EUCOR consortium Meta-organization and Food Democracy, which brings together researchers from the universities of Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Basel, and Freiburg, already collaborating on the theme of food democracy and meta-organizations that aim to build collectively and locally an alternative agri-food model.
In the morning, members participated in the event The Social Economy, the Future of Europe, which took place at the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès in Strasbourg.
First, Sophie Michel and Lena Bloemertz (University of Basel) gave a talk on how to strengthen the engagement and cooperation of food-to-fork and hook-to-plate actors in order to cocreate alternative and agroecological food systems in the EU. This talk was organized in collaboration with the international network Urgenci. Read the minutes
Afterward, related workshops were organized with the participation of three academic experts and actors in the field: V. Roufiol (Food Access), T. Ferrando (Faculty of Law and Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp), and Isa Alvarez (Urgenci).
In the afternoon, members met on the University of Strasbourg campus to continue preparing the INTERREG project Enacting a Sustainable Regional Food System through Cooperation and Exchange with local actors.
This project builds on collaboration initiated via the EUCOR consortium. INTERREG is European funding aimed at concrete actions with an interregional/cross-border dimension.
- Theme: Developing sustainable cross-border food supply chains in the Upper Rhine region
- Partners: Universities of Strasbourg, UHA, Freiburg, and Basel along with 22 professional partners from Alsace, Germany, and Switzerland (Upper Rhine Region)
- Progress: A pre-proposal was submitted in May, but the final project should be submitted at the end of November for a planned start in January 2023.
- Duration: 2023–2026
- Estimated budget: €3.2M–€3.7M
- Long-term objectives:
Improve the sustainability of the food system in the Upper Rhine region in order to contribute to climate change prevention and adaptation and boost disaster resilience.
Increase the region’s self-sufficiency and resilience to external shocks by developing three “sustainable” regional food supply chains, which are currently imported:- Sunflower products, including seeds, oil, seed butter, etc.
- Legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc., excluding soybeans), whether fresh, in pasta, in beverages, etc.
- Fruits and vegetables, whether fresh, ready-to-use, dried, in jams, in juices, etc
Ensure the sustainability of these food supply chains by strengthening organic farming, the use of renewable energy, the social and professional integration of disadvantaged workers, fair remuneration, access to healthy food for all, including the most vulnerable, etc.
Establish a strong cross-border network of support and innovation for sustainable supply chains, including capacities for cooperation within and between regions.