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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.

What's up next?

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.

Go to Webinars

Learn about the Food Donut!

In collaboration with the DEAL Action Lab, we are developing a Food Donut Model to support Food Policy Councils in designing policies that are systemic, inclusive, and sustainable by design.

The model is intended to:

Help you identifying policy objectives and targets
Break down silos and map the many connections food policies have in the economy
Communicate, monitor and evaluate your work
Reconnect social and environmental objectives in policy design

FPC in Action 2027

We are planning the next workshop Food Policy Councils in Action! to take place in June 2027.

Get involved in organizing it:

Become part of the organizing team
Fund the event
Present your work

Report writing

We are writing a report summarizing all the issues we discussed at the workshop FPC in Action! in June 2025.

The report will be available here in December 2025 and will contain

Critical debates
Case studies
Key takeaways
Resources

The case studies span across most western countries, including many EU countries, the US, Canada, and Australia.

We particularly welcome you to reach out to integrate this narration with experiences from the global south. If you are interested in sharing your experiences with us, please get involved.