On 15–16 September 2026, the UrbanFood consortium came together in Athens for the project’s official Kick-off Meeting, marking the beginning of a 42-month collaboration focused on rethinking the role of cities in food system transformation.
Held at the Agricultural University of Athens, the two-day meeting brought partners together to align on the project’s vision, priorities and first steps. Coordinated by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), UrbanFood brings together 18 partners from across Europe, combining expertise from research, municipalities, civil society, innovation and the food sector.
At the heart of UrbanFood is the idea that cities can become active spaces for producing food, sharing knowledge, testing new solutions and involving citizens in shaping more sustainable, inclusive and climate-friendly food systems.
From vision to action
The first day introduced the project’s main areas of work and gave partners the opportunity to discuss how these different elements will come together over the coming years.
Sessions focused on Urban Food Living Labs, knowledge transfer and skills development, urban food production systems, social innovation and the UrbanFood Digital Ecosystem. Together, these activities are designed to connect practical solutions with education, community participation and local action.
A key theme throughout the meeting was the role of citizens and local communities. UrbanFood aims to support people in developing the knowledge, practical skills and confidence needed to participate actively in urban food production and continue building on these practices in the long term.
“For UrbanFood, a key measure of success will be the lasting impact created within local communities. Our aim is to equip citizens and communities with the knowledge, skills and confidence to continue, adapt and build on these practices beyond the project’s lifetime, becoming active drivers of more sustainable urban food systems,” said Dr. Thanos Balafoutis, UrbanFood Project Coordinator.
Exploring urban food production in practice
The first day also included a visit to the facilities of the Agricultural University of Athens. Partners explored infrastructure and practices related to food production in urban environments, some of which will directly inform and support the development and implementation of UrbanFood’s food production systems.
Co-creating the next steps
Day 2 focused on collaborative workshops covering the Urban Food Living Labs, food production systems, the Knowledge Transfer Programme, Social Food Innovation Systems and the UrbanFood Digital Ecosystem. These sessions helped translate the project’s wider ambition into practical next steps for implementation.
With the Kick-off Meeting complete, UrbanFood now moves into its first phase of work, beginning with local needs assessment, co-design and the development of the knowledge, tools and systems that will support activities across the project.
The journey has just begun, with one clear direction: to work with cities, communities and citizens to build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable urban food systems.
Learn more: urbanfood-project.eu
