Welcome to Food Policy Councils in Action!
​
Food Policy Councils in Action is a collaborative platform born from the joint initiative of the Center for Food Studies at The American University of Rome and the Rome Food Policy Council.
​
Our aim is to connect practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and civic networks who are shaping food governance locally and globally. For us, Food Policy Councils are not just institutions, but living spaces to experiment new forms of civic engagement and empowerment.
​
We believe that only by staying together can we effectively generate innovative solutions to transform food systems from the ground up. Through events, publications, and partnerships, we work to strengthen these spaces and make them more resilient.
Join our webinars
Food Policy Councils are emerging in most cities as hybrid institutions aiming at assisting urban administrations to design better food policies. However, there are many challenges to make food policy councils really work.
​
We want to share with you some of our reflections and ongoing debates.
​
This webinar series includes 6 events exploring specific problems through the experience of Food Policy Councils around the world.
​
Meet our speakers and participate to share your questions, experiences and thoughts.
​
Co-Creation of the Food Doughnut
​The co-creation process that we are designing in collaboration with the DEAL Action Lab, the Network of FPC in Action, and more food experts around the world is aimed to:
-
Adapt the Doughnut model specifically for the food system.
-
Tailor its themes and language to resonate within the food sector.
-
(Potentially) Identify key indicators to measure progress toward a Food Doughnut.
-
Develop tools for applying Doughnut Economics to shape transformative food policies.
​​
Key Dates:
-
First online session: November 26, at 3:00-5:30 pm UK time
-
Second online session: week of January 12
-
Onsite workshop: TBD
-
Review cycles: March- April 2026
-
Publication finalized: May 2026
Report writing
We’re excited to share Chapter 1 of the FPCs in Action report with you. This opening chapter explores the balance between broad, inclusive participation and the need to make timely, effective decisions. It invites readers to reflect on who should shape food policy and what makes FPCs effective.
Grounded in six case studies and ongoing research, this chapter examines two key questions at the heart of these tensions:
-
How does the composition of an FPC influence both policy outcomes and the potential for transformative change in the food system?
-
How do FPCs navigate the tension between accurately representing the food system as it exists today and taking timely action to transform it?
We will post 5 more chapters, each investigating one of the issues discussed during last year workshop, starting from ​
-
FPC and Institutional Relationships: Between Autonomy and Integration.
-
Engaging stakeholders and extending participation
-
Ensuring ethical governance including accountability & transparency
-
From food projects to food policies and back
-
Surviving the Electoral Cycle and other difficult times
​