Local food strategies: Answers to the key questions — Background information

The way we source our food locally plays a key role in determining a city’s carbon footprint, public health, regional economic growth and social cohesion. Nevertheless, in most local authorities, the development of sustainable food systems has so far been rather haphazard. Urban planning, business development, school administration and the property office make decisions on a daily basis that shape the food supply, without these decisions being co-ordinated.

This is precisely where local food strategies come in. They bring together scattered activities into a common approach, provide the local authority with a clear mandate and make food a consciously managed area of action. In an increasing number of German cities, they are becoming a key instrument of food policy.

What is a local food strategy?

A food strategy is a politically agreed framework for action that sets out objectives and measures for a more sustainable local food system. It describes the direction in which a local authority aims to develop in the area of food. The scope ranges from agricultural production through processing, trade and out-of-home catering to consumption and the use of food waste.

It is important to distinguish this from individual measures. The strategy itself is not an organic quota in nursery schools or an amended weekly market regulation. Rather, it provides the framework that organises, prioritises and secures such individual measures in the long term. Without this framework, good initiatives often remain isolated projects that stand or fall on the commitment of a few individuals. With it, a binding foundation is created to which local authorities, politicians and external partners can all refer.

Within the framework of local government instruments, the development of a food strategy is classified as a participatory, cooperative approach. The local authority takes the lead but consciously collaborates with civil society and business stakeholders.

Are we, as a local authority, even allowed to get involved in food issues?

Yes. Even though towns and local authorities do not have comprehensive regulatory powers in the food sector, they do have considerable scope for action. Two constitutional principles are central here. Under Article 20 of the Basic Law (GG), which governs local public services, local authorities are obliged to ensure the provision of basic services to the population, and a reliable, healthy and affordable food supply is increasingly part of this. At the same time, under the principle of local planning autonomy set out in Article 28 of the Basic Law, they possess key decision-making powers regarding the development of their local areas.

In expert discussions, it is now even argued that local authorities are not only permitted to address food-related issues, but – in view of failing market mechanisms – are in fact obliged to do so. This is evident in supply shortages caused by supply chain crises, in unequal access to healthy food in structurally disadvantaged areas, and in production that fails to meet climate and environmental targets. In practice, the regulatory limits on local food policy are often perceived as more restrictive than they actually are.

What are the specific benefits of a food strategy?

The most important added value lies in commitment and coordination. A strategy translates political declarations of intent into a formal mandate for the administration. This enables three recurring problems to be addressed.

Firstly, it provides guidance where chance has previously prevailed. The framework conditions for nutrition are shaped by local political decisions anyway, but these are usually unguided. A strategy makes these influences visible and deliberately aligns them with shared objectives.

Secondly, it enshrines the issue at an institutional level. Nutrition is a cross-cutting issue that spans many departments. An agreed strategy sets out responsibilities, secures funding and endures changes in personnel and legislative terms.

Thirdly, it creates synergies: individual measures have a greater impact when they are interlinked – for example, when an ambitious school meals procurement programme is considered in conjunction with the development of regional supply chains and nutrition education. In this way, individual steps are transformed into sustainable food systems that support one another.

Who initiates a food strategy and who should be involved?

The initiative can come from a wide variety of sources: civil society, the local business community, the public administration itself or the political sphere. In Germany, it has often been food councils that have provided the impetus.

What matters is not so much who starts the process, but who is involved. Broad participation has proven successful. This includes farms, artisan food producers and retailers, community catering services, social service providers, educational institutions, research organisations and committed members of the public. Within the local authority, all relevant departments should be brought together at an early stage, including environmental protection, economic development, education and social services, urban planning, procurement and senior management.

This broad-based approach is not an end in itself. A strategy requires the support of the local authority and politicians, and it thrives on the so-called social capital of existing networks. Local food policy is most successful when the local authority does not act as the sole actor, but as a leading partner in cooperation. It supports, facilitates and connects.

Do we have to start on a large scale straight away, or can we take a step-by-step approach?

Both are possible. A food strategy is the most comprehensive tool, but not the only one. Many local authorities start by gaining experience with individual measures, such as more sustainable school meals, revised leasing criteria for council-owned land, or support for networking activities. They then use this to develop an overarching strategic framework.

Joining networks such as the ‘Bio-Städte’ (Organic Cities) or setting up a food council are low-threshold entry points that generate knowledge, visibility and allies. It is important to consider how these initiatives fit into a broader objective at an early stage, so that individual projects can coalesce into a coherent strategy. Those who start small should be clear about the overarching goal towards which each step is contributing.

How do we actually get started?

Three initial steps have proven effective. Firstly, identify what is already happening in your local authority, as there are often more food-related activities than are apparent at first glance. Secondly, seek to engage with local authorities that have already gone down this path, and with existing local networks. Thirdly, ensure that the issue is assigned a dedicated point of contact within the local authority administration that can work across departments.

The food transition begins in towns and local authorities. Local food strategies provide the framework that turns good individual initiatives into a reliable course of action. At the same time, they demonstrate that local authorities have far more scope to shape food policy than is often attributed to them.

Ideally, a good strategy should include …

a vision for a food-friendly city
an assessment of the food system
clear objectives for its development
measures, including those responsible for their implementation
criteria against which success can be measured

How binding? Looking beyond the horizon.

The degree to which a strategy is concrete is reflected above all in its binding nature. With ‘Food Works’, New York has established its own action programme with clear lines of responsibility. Vancouver specifies a timeframe, the responsible authority and potential partners for each measure. London later supplemented its rather general strategy from 2006 with two concrete implementation plans. It is precisely this translation from vision to implementation that is our work.

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