(2) The Municipality of Vicenza

The Municipality of Vicenza is the local public authority of the city of Vicenza. Its participation in the Cities2030 project ensures the involvement of the citizens and key stakeholders, as well as of the public authorities at province and regional level (for more information, please visit: https://www.comune.vicenza.it/).

Cities2030 is supporting the Municipality of Vicenza in designing and implementing the urban food policy by assessing the most pertinent challenges faced by the local food system, the needs and the vision so to finally develop better policies, strategies, action plans, and regulations for the CRFS.

VICENZA FOOD SYSTEM IN CITIES2030

The vision, the main lab's objectives and the organisational framework

Vicenza has the ambition to become a "lab for future food", namely, the point of reference for innovative, pioneering, sustainable and resilient ideas to progressively improve the urban and regional food system under the guidance of the principles, recommendations and actions set at national, European and international level as well as according to the real needs, the emerging priorities and the local stakeholders' expectations.

Vicenza's main objective is to design and implement a "food-for-all" approach to guarantee better nutrition, greater health, wider social inclusion and economic development through food policies. In this respect, one of the most important challenges Vicenza will have to confront with will be to maintain a good equilibrium between the local traditions on the one hand, and the will and capacity to innovate on the other.

Accordingly, a knowledge-based and collaborative approach, through the continuous interactions between policy makers, public authorities, private entities, research centres and academia, civil society organisation and citizens/consumers, will be at the basis of the overall project activities.

Accordingly, the Municipality of Vicenza has already structured its organisational framework, which include the project team and 3 main entities:

VICENZA ROAD-MAP towards the food-for-all strategy in CITIES2030

The CITIES2030 Project is one of the most recent initiatives integrated by the Municipality of Vicenza into its CRFS, which was already running before the project approval. In fact, Vicenza started the designing and developing of its CRFS on a systematic basis a few years ago; in particular, it started by defining some priorities of reference for the urban policy agenda and by implementing diverse initiatives in the field of food system transformation (FST) and short food supply chain (SFSC).

More in detail, the Municipality of Vicenza decided to initially focus on both the food distribution chain (by fostering Km0 and sustainable low-emission delivery services) and the food upcycle systems, starting from school canteens.

In the framework of the CITIES2030 Project will map and systematize the initiatives and the results achieved so far and will outline its vision for the next years, so to concentrate on those strategic priorities which will contribute at a more effective and efficient food policy, at urban, peri-urban and rural level. More in detail, based on the experiences and results already achieved, on the continuous assessment of the local needs and opportunities, and on the exchange of practices and ideas with the consortium, Vicenza will achieve its objective by focusing in particular on:

• Creation of a food policy office to facilitate and promote a better governance through a knowledge-based and collaborative decision making process
• Mapping, assessment, systematisation and further improvement of the relevant initiatives already running at a local level such as the Urban Shared Vegetable Gardens, the Solidarity Food Emporium, the Street Food events, the initiatives on healthy diet and nutrition in the local schools, the awareness events addressed to citizens and consumers, the eco-logistic food transport and delivery through La Veloce and the social restaurant Insieme
• Development of a vision for the next future and a structured workprogramme to achieve ambitious but pragmatic results
• Promotion and dissemination of great knowledge and awareness on food related issues through a multi-disciplinary approach and by capitalising on the specialised know-how and longstanding expertise provided by the local Biblioteca La Vigna. For example, the Ortobook living lab will be a place where knowledge will lead innovation 
• Improvement of the social dimension of food so that food could become a driver for social development and inclusion in particular for people who are marginalised or need to have a second chance
• Enhancement of the economic and environmental dimension of food so that food could generate economic growth while respecting the environment and minimising the negative impact and possible risks. In particular, greater attention will be devoted to innovative economic actors and start-ups in the field of sustainable food systems
• Last but not least, activities and initiatives in the field of education on healthy diet and nutrition in schools by involving scholar cafeterias where local products should be more and more promoted and where food waste should be reduced as much as possible, also to support people in need

UNDERSTAND TO ACT

Adopting different standpoints 

Through the Cities2030 Vicenza Food Lab - and the joint collaboration between the policy lab and the living lab - the Municipality of Vicenza is trying to address the specific needs of the urban and peri-urban areas. In particular, the inputs from the citizens are of particular interest to better design the areas of intervention. Accordingly, greater awareness and better information are a priority based on the suggestions collected.