Abstract:

In 2007 our planet reached a remarkable milestone, with the world urban population overtaking the number of people living in the countryside. In Europe 68% of the population already live in urban areas. Scientists predict that as the world population increases (with estimates suggesting it is likely to reach 10 billion people by the year 2050), this process of urbanisation will accelerate. This growth will take place at the expense of peri-urban and rural areas, raising important questions about the future of agriculture, the conservation of essential natural resources (water, energy supplies, and fertile soils) and the protection of vital natural areas.1 We will not only need to feed more people in a sustainable way, but we will also need to meet new and evolving societal needs. This briefing explores some of the innovative and creative ways in which food producers and consumers have started to address this problem in different parts of Europe. It features five case studies which illustrate different ways in which communities are finding more sustainable ways to produce and consume food with benefits
for all. The methods vary, but the outcomes are the same: control of the food system is being taken back by small-scale, sustainable farms and food enterprises from large-scale industrial businesses that dominate the market today putting profit ahead of wellbeing for people and planet.