Description
In a multi-stakeholder, capacity building approach which brings together NGOs, universities, scholars and public officers into the decision making processes, this project, although focusing on food and nutrition, aims at addressing major issues such as environmental sustainability, social solidarity and economic rights. The final purpose is to articulate six relevant public policies areas (agriculture, education, welfare, environment, health and gender) in the planning of an integrated strategy for food. A broad survey and assessment on current practices, compiled in an online platform, will serve as basis for this participated design process led by six Communities of Practice. Stakeholders will be working for greater justice, equity, safety and quality in food production and consumption in Portugal. The project is promoted by an environmental NGO in partnership with a school of agronomy and a public body in charge of health matters with the role of ensuring political engagement and mainstreaming.
Summary of project results
In Portugal there is no public perception on the part of the decision-makers and technicians in the ministries and civil society that food is a cross-cutting issue that goes beyond public policies of agriculture and health. However, there are some sectoral initiatives in education, agriculture, and particularly in health, such as National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Food, which could be the embryo of a food strategy to the mid-term. It makes sense that civil society contributes to the creation of an integrated food strategy in Portugal through the integration of sectoral public policies (agricultural, educational, social, environmental and health) in order to influence the quality, equity, safety and sustainability of the food consumption of the Portuguese population. The project has launched 2 public consultations on food safety and food habits, has created 6 communities of practice on food and nutrition safety, has launched a petition on the Milan Pact on Food Safety, has organised 4 seminars plus the final event of the project to discuss these issues, has published one book “Integrate to Feed” and two manuals on food and nutrition safety. In addition it has influenced new legislation adopted at the Portuguese Parliament on producers’ local markets. As a result of the project activities during the closing event of the project the Milan Pact was signed by a number of municipalities in Portugal as a first step for a broader dissemination of this commitment – from then on many others have signed it as well in a process still moving. The project has surpassed its ambitions: 39 initiatives of cooperation or dialogue undertaken with public actors (6 with Central Government and 33 with local governments), 650 people mobilised and participating in a multi-stakeholder process to conceive a public policy on food, 2385 citizens consulted and one platform created to disseminate good practices and organise all the information collected and produced on integrated food policy. The promoting NGO considers that given all the actors involved this process (including Ministry of Health and universities and large networks of local development NGOs) will continue and its sustainability is assured. The main lesson for the promoter is related to advocacy: it now has new capacity and skills to influence public policies, thanks to the experience gained with this nationwide and multi-stakeholder project.
Summary of bilateral results