Metropolitan Region Food Charter
Environmental and climate emergency
Healthy food
The Barcelona Metropolitan Region Food Charter (CARM) is a strategic coordination instrument for the development of local and metropolitan food policies. The charter features the participation of more than 100 organisations from the quintuple helix: companies, social entities, public administrations, research centres and the media. Since 2023, CARM has become the focal point for the ‘Healthy Eating’ mission of the Metropolitan Commitment 2030.
Objectives
- To highlight, support and reinforce the processes taking place at the local level for the transition to a model of greater food sovereignty, which strengthens the resilience of a fairer, safer, more sustainable and healthier food system, based on social, ecological and locally-sourced criteria.
- To establish a common operational framework to facilitate spaces for participation, action and strategy for the development of food policies in terms of a metropolitan region with the engagement of all the players in the so-called quintuple helix: public administrations, business and the productive sector, the academic and research world, citizens and their organisations, and the media.
- To become the space of reference for monitoring the commitments and projects of the ‘Healthy Eating’ mission of the Metropolitan Commitment 2030.
CARM is an initiative that promotes the transition to a fairer, more sustainable and healthier food system at a metropolitan scale. The charter is the result of collaboration between more than 100 entities and individuals, following a participatory process that has defined the challenges, commitments and projects needed to transform the region’s food system.
CARM’s Objectives:
- Provide support for the local food transition: To highlight and reinforce local initiatives that promote a model of food sovereignty based on social, ecological and locally-sourced criteria.
- Create a common framework: Encourage the participation and collaboration of all stakeholders in the food system, from public administrations to companies, academia, citizens and the media (quintuple helix).
- Be the point of reference: Follow up on the commitments and projects linked to the ‘Healthy Eating’ mission of the Metropolitan Commitment 2030, and promote the coordination and development of actions at the regional level.
A two-stage process
The CARM has been developed across two phases:
- First phase (2017-2020): Construction and approval
- Initial diagnosis and compilation of information regarding the state of the food system.
- Organisation of focus groups and interviews with key players.
- Identification of challenges, commitments and priority projects.
- Participation in specific spaces to ensure co-creation.
- Return and validation of the final document, with its approval and public presentation.
- Second phase (as of 2020): Implementation and monitoring
- Promotion of a process of inclusion to add municipalities, entities and institutions.
- Identification and compilation of projects aligned with CARM’s commitments.
- Creation of a governance space to coordinate and monitor actions.
- Development of new projects to promote the Charter’s goals.
CARM’s Principles
CARM is based on the following fundamental principles:
- Guaranteeing the right to food for all, everywhere and at all times.
- Treating food as a cross-cutting public policy.
- Taking into account a holistic view of the food system, from production to consumption.
- Promoting a food system that is beneficial for people, the region and the planet.
- Recognising the importance of the regional-metropolitan scale in food policies.
- Encouraging the renewed connection between the urban and rural world.
- Ensuring collaboration and transparency in all actions.
Membership and local development
Municipalities are encouraged to develop their own municipal food strategies and join the CARM. This network makes it possible to coordinate actions in various fields and to amplify the impact of food policies at the regional level.
Relationship with the Metropolitan Commitment 2030
The work as part of “Barcelona Demà: Metropolitan Commitment 2030” positions CARM as a central element in achieving the objectives of the ‘Healthy Eating’ mission, with a shared vision that connects local actions with the metropolitan strategy.
