The Milan Pact
In a globalised world threatened by the climate and environmental emergency, inequalities and pandemics, current food systems face the challenge of providing safe, local, organic, diverse, fair, healthy, nutritious food for everyone. Cities are the main participants in this challenge, as areas that are home to half of the planet’s population but which do not produce the food they eat.
To tackle this enormous challenge, in October 2015, 210 cities all over the world, including Barcelona, signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. This is an international treaty in which 210 cities express their commitment to promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient, safe, diversified agri-food systems, in order to guarantee accessible, healthy food for all, reduce food waste and preserve biodiversity, while mitigating the effects of the climate crisis and adapting to it.
The signatory cities have committed to:
- Working to develop sustainable food systems.
- Promoting urban food policy.
- Seeking consistency between municipal food-related policies and those of other administrations.
- Engaging all sectors within the food system.
- Reviewing and amending existing policies.
- Using the Action Framework as a starting point for organising the urban food system.
- Encouraging other cities to participate.
Milan
2015
Rome
2016
Valencia
2017
Tel Aviv-Yafo
2018
Montpellier
2019
Merida, Mexico
2020
(cancelled)
Barcelona
2021
Since 2015 in Milan, representatives from 210 countries have met annually: in 2016, the forum took place in Rome, supported by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations); in 2017, it was in Valencia and the Milan Pact Awards were launched; the 2018 forum was in Tel Aviv, where the cities’ success stories and progress continued to be shared and the awards were held again; and in 2019, the forum took place in Montpellier and focused on the interconnection between sustainable food, the environment, equity and solidarity. In 2020, the event was supposed to take place in Mérida, Mexico, but was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Between 19 and 21 October 2021, Barcelona will host the 7th Global Forum for the Milan Pact, the central event in its year as the World Sustainable Food Capital. The main theme of the Milan Pact Forum in Barcelona will be the connection between food and the climate emergency.
