CONFERENCE

THE POWER OF
PUBLIC FOOD
PROCUREMENT
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OFSCHOOL MEALS FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-16

17 - 18 JUNE 2024 | COPENHAGEN

CONCEPT NOTE & PROGRAMMEOVERVIEW
The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), Municipality of Copenhagen andRoskilde University (RUC) cordially invite you to the conference “The power ofpublic food procurement for school meals” in Copenhagen. This conference istargeted towards food policy officers and stakeholders responsible for shaping
the future meals of our schoolchildren.
In an increasingly complex world where global challenges such as sustainability
and nutrition are in focus, it is crucial to understand how various Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and governmental regulations are handled by themunicipalities and have an impact on food systems.
Cities play a pivotal role in implementing these regulations and actively
contribute to achieving the set objectives. The overarching frameworks andregulations have direct consequences for the lives of each citizen, particularly
concerning nutrition and sustainable meals. Cities are key players in thisprocess, translating these goals and regulations into tangible initiatives andimplementing them in daily practices. The conference not only aims to explore
how cities address these complex challenges but also emphasizes the collective
responsibility cities share in transforming food systems.
One of the main levers for food system transformation is school meals
programmes, which can achieve multiple objectives: guarantee access tonutritious meals for children and fight against food poverty; educate youth onsustainable food choices, including food waste prevention; shortening supply
chains and reduce the environmental impact of public food purchasing;strengthen social communities and spur food culture. Moreover, cooking meals
holds a significant potential for building and reinforcing relationships,
promoting well-being, combating loneliness, thus ultimately enhancing mental
health.

Photo by Jordan Mcdonald on Unsplash

1

The conference will take place within the Cities Feeding the Future Initiative
led by the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the first and foremost commitment
among more than 280 mayors worldwide joining forces to transform urban
food systems. Within the initiative, Copenhagen Municipality is a leading cityon the issue of public procurement for school meals. The Municipality of
Copenhagen is also a key partner in the H2020 Food Trails project, along with
Roskilde University, that will support the conference organisation.
The conference contributes to the overall goal of the Food Trails project: toprovide the EU, municipal governments and other agents of change withevidence-based narratives, co-designed and verified through multi-objective
and multi-actor FOOD 2030 Living Labs, to support the development,
consolidation and replication of innovative food policies for sustainable cityregion food systems member-states and all municipal governments and agentsof change interested in accelerating food system transformation. Therefore, theevent seeks to inspire and encourage a broad dialogue on how cities,
together, can contribute to meeting these objectives, fostering healthiercommunities and improving the well-being of our society.

The conference aims to:
Inspire politicians to maximise opportunities for using public foodprocurement as a lever in the pursuit of more sustainable food systems andhealthy meals for children.
Provide city officers with tangible skills and useful tools to simultaneously
achieve multiple objectives.
Develop synergies among MUFPP cities in the region, national governments
and international organizations active on the topic of school meals.
Advocate for cities at the National and EU level to play a crucial role inreshaping local food systems toward sustainable models through innovating
public procurement processes and strengthening local supply chains.

2

BACKGROUND
Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) is the main legacy of the Universal
Exhibition “Expo Milan 2015” Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. The Milan Pact
is a global commitment of mayors from around the world that considers foodas an entry point for the sustainable development of growing cities. It
represents the main framework for cities and international stakeholders activein the definition of innovative urban food policies. With its Framework of
Actions that consists of 37 recommended actions clustered in 6 categories, theMilan Pact provides a holistic approach to urban food systems. Today, the Milan
Pact gathers more than 280 cities (100 in Europe), representing a total of 490
million inhabitants over the 6 MUFPP regions.

Cities Feeding the Future Initiative
Cities Feeding the Future is one of the initiatives of the School Meals Coalition(SMC), launched in 2021 with the aim of driving actions to urgently improveand scale up school meal programs to ensure that every child has theopportunity to receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030. The
Coalition gathers today around 100 governments keen to move forward on
improving school meals programs around the world.
The initiative Cities Feeding the Future, led by the Milan Urban Food Policy
Pact, aims at highlighting the key role of mayors and supporting them inproviding healthier and more sustainable school meals within theircommunities.

113
Photo by Jordan Mcdonald on Unsplash

Food Trails
Food Trails project is a four-year EU-funded Horizon 2020 project within the
Municipality of Milan, which brings together a consortium of 19 European
partners, including 11 cities, 3 universities and 5 organisations. The project isrooted in the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and it translates the Pact’s
commitments into concrete progress toward more resilient, safe, fair anddiverse urban food systems in Europe.
Food Trails aims to enable cities to reimagine, develop and implement
sustainable, healthy and inclusive food policies. Each partner city runs a pilot
project, a Living Lab, a space for work, dialogue and collaboration to foster
innovation, connect local key stakeholders, and collect evidence to support
urban policy change in food. Living Labs seek to co-design and co-implement
food actions integrated with other local sectoral work and aligned with theFarm to Fork EU Strategy and the priorities of the EU-FOOD2030 Policy:
nutrition, climate, circularity and innovation.
Food Trails facilitates collaboration among cities and researchers to encourageknowledge sharing, replication and scaling up of best practices.

Roskilde University and Urban food systems
The Sustainable Food Systems group at Roskilde University (RUC) have foryears been conduction research on public food systems and has been giving
science based advise to i.e. the development of the Danish Organic Cuisine
Label used in public and private food procurement. RUC experts organized in2016 the Food & the City conference in Copenhagen. This major international
conference gathered 150 policy officers and key actors interested in urban foodsystems. This international conference ignited a national and Nordic discussion
on the new roles of food in cities and municipalities. A section of experts ofsustainable food system transitions was established as an outcome. Thisinitiative has been facilitating innovative programs and national support
instruments on organic and plant-based foods in public procurement.
RUC is today partner in a number of EU-FOOD2030 projects (Food Trails,
FEAST and FoSSNet) and conducting participatory research together withmunicipalities, regions and private organisations.

4THE TWO-DAY EVENTWILL CONSIST OF:
On the 17th and 18th of June 2024 a major event on the important role of thecities in food system transformation takes place in Copenhagen. The
conference will revolve around the power of public food procurement forschool meals within an effective food governance of cities.
Day 1 - 17 June 2024 – The power of food policy governance of cities &excursion to one of Copenhagen’s Food Schools:
On day 1 research-based findings for public food policy will be presented. The
green transition of urban food systems requires the right tools, networks andcapacities at all levels to succeed. The 17th of June 2024 program presents theplanned and expected initiatives for the urgent food system transitions. These
will be presented by experts with key roles in international bodies in foodpolicy science. New insights from recent research deriving from extensive
studies of Food Living Labs in a number of European cities will be presented.
To explore common potentials and barriers with implementing the transition
processes, the conference will introduce participatory panel debates format led
by international experts in each of the relevant topics.
In the end of the day, you have the opportunity to gain insights into results andexperiences with sustainable meals from various EU perspectives and get atour around one of Copenhagen's Food Schools. Participants will enjoy a tour
and gain insights into Copenhagen's experiences with school meals, children’s
involvement and how every meal served has the power to impact the wellbeing, education, and future of our children.
We aim to create an inspiring framework for dialogue and reflection leading up
to the conference on Day 2.

5Day 2 – 18 June 2024 – The power of public food procurement:
On the second day you can experience in-depth discussions, inspiring
speeches, and interactive workshops centred around public food procurement
for school meals and practical experiences.
The morning sessions will delve into high-level policy discussions, setting thestage for the significant role cities play in shaping sustainable food systems.
Explore how urban environments are pivotal in driving positive change andhow each meal served has the power to impact the well-being, education, andfuture of our children.
In the afternoon, engage in lively debates and hands-on workshops aimed at
fostering collaboration and innovation in the realm of public food procurement.
Discover practical solutions and best practices that can be implemented atvarious levels of governance, ultimately contributing to healthier and moresustainable food environments for our communities.

6

PROGRAMME

DAY 1: 17 JUNE, IDA CONFERENCE HALL

9:00AM

9:30AM

Registration - Light breakfast, water, tea & coffee.

Welcome and opening remarks - Niels Heine Kristensen (RUC), Betina
Bergmann Madsen (CPH Municipality), Filippo Gavazzeni (MUFPP)

9:45AM

Shift towards more plant-based diets, food system transition action plans

10:00AM

Urban Food Policies

10:15AM

10:30AM

10:45AMThe largest European study on school meals policies, economic and social
impacts in European countries
Gaps in the EU governance of sustainable food systems
How to expand the power of school meals inside and outside schools with
Food Environment approaches

11:00AM

Panel discussion, Q&A

11:20AM

Coffee break

11:35AM

Talk - Food Trails pilot actions towards changing child's food habits in a
broader implementation of local food policies

12:40PM

Q&A

13:00PM

Lunch with taste boots & networking

7

Parallel breakout sessions with short case presentations from researchand practice followed by facilitated knowledge sharing. Participants(researchers and practitioners) will share concrete contexts, challenges
and potentials for mutual inspiration. Facilitated by EAT and RUC
through policy dialogue methods:
14:00PM

Political commitment – how to reach decision makers agenda
Sustainable food procurement – reversed food chain practices
Citizen engagement - how to organize participatory processes
Competence building - which skills and competences is in demand
Circular economy – how to reduce food waste in public foodprocurement

15:20PM

Coffee break

15:40PMPlenum: Wrapping up from breakout sessions and intro to day 2

16:30PM8

Field visit to one of Copenhagen's Food schools with dinner – Tour andinsights into Copenhagen's experiences with school meals

PROGRAMMEDAY 2: 18 JUNE, COPENHAGEN CITY HALL

9:00AM

Registration - Light breakfast, water, tea & coffee.
Welcome and opening remarks from hosting mayors:

9:30AM

Jakob Næsager, Mayor of Children and Youth, CPH
Anna Scavuzzo, Vice Mayor of Milan in charge of Food Policy

9:45AM

10:45AM

11:00AM

11:45 AM

12:30PM

Political round table - How do cities deal with public food procurement forchildren's meals?
Coffee break
Session - Multilevel governance for food systems: the role of procurement
practices for accelerating progress on sustainability goals
Session - How are cities implementing food procurement strategies indifferent European countries?
Lunch from EAT school foodWorkshops:
Procurement criteria - Levers of change for improving procurement
criteria at policy level
Behavioral science - Nudging towards more sustainable food choices

13:45

and children’s well-being
Innovation - Accelerating innovations for monitoring the impact ofsustainable procurement practices
Food education - Strengthening linkages between school meals andchildren’s food education

15:30PM

Coffee break & network

16:00PM

Summary of key findings and future priorities

16:45PM

Closing session with Jakob Næsager, Mayor of Children and Youth, CPH

17:00PM

Reception & network

9

LOGISTICS
Where is the conference taking place?
Day 1:
The first day takes place at The Danish Society of Engineers, IDA, near thewater and within walking distance from the city centre.
Address: IDA Conference, Kalvebod Brygge 31-33, 1780 Copenhagen V.
Day 2:In the heart of Copenhagen, you will find Copenhagen City Hall where thesecond day takes place. Copenhagen City Hall was built in 1892-1905 and was
designed by architect Martin Nyrop. Martin Nyrop was inspired by the town
halls of Italy, and the building is today considered as a classic of the National
Romantic style.
Address: Copenhagen City Hall, Rådhuspladsen 1, 1599 Copenhagen V.

General travel information
Check out the Visit Copenhagen webpage for activities, attractions, tours,
shopping, events, restaurants, nature, and neighbourhood guides.
How to get from Copenhagen airport to the city centre:
With only 8 km to the city centre, it’s easy to get to and from the airport.
Depending on which form of transportation you prefer, it will take between 13
and 35 minutes to travel the distance.
At the airport, you’ll have easy access to both trains, metro and busses.
Train
The trains depart every 10 minutes from the airport to Copenhagen Central
Station during the day. In the evening hours, it will be every 20 minutes, andduring the night just once an hour. The train ride is only 15 minutes. At
Copenhagen Central Station you will find connections to the rest of the country
by train, S-train or bus.
Metro
If you want to travel by the Metro, it’s an easy ride of only 13 minutes to“Kongens Nytorv”. Here you can change to metro line M3 and get off at“Rådhuspladsen”, which is closest to the recommended hotels below. It’s a linewith 17 stops around the city, all connected by the metro, forming a circle. One
trip around the circle takes 28 minutes, and even if you are “going in the wrong
direction” you’ll end up at your destination in a short time.
10How to get around in Copenhagen?
Bicycles and public transportation are by far the easiest and faster ways to getaround Copenhagen. Also, the best way to experience the city while on the go.
You can use Copenhagen’s 4 metro lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whenusing public transportation in Copenhagen, all members of the family musthave a valid ticket.
Where to buy your ticket?
Always buy a ticket before boarding the train or metro. You can buy your ticketin ticket machines, which accept Danish cash and the most common credit
cards, or 7 Eleven kiosks at the train and metro stations. In Copenhagen Airport
arrival hall and at Copenhagen Central Station there is a DSB ticket office aswell as ticket machines. Please note that not all ticket types/travel cards are forsale via machines.
Pay with your smartphone or online
Download the app "DOT Billetter" in App Store and Google Play and pay foryour tickets on the go. Click "Indstillinger" (settings) followed by "Sprog"(language) to select English version. From there you can select the fare youneed and enter your credit card details. You can also buy your bus, train andmetro tickets online.

Where to stay?
If you need accommodation, we can recommend the following hotels below, allwithin walking distance of the 2-day events:
Tivoli Hotel, Arni Magnussons Gade 2, 1577 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Copenhagen Island, Kalvebod Brygge 53, 1560 Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Square, Rådhuspladsen 14, 1550 Copenhagen, Denmark.
For the three hotels listed above, we have arranged a 15% discount for yourstay. All the hotels can be booked through the links below:
Booking in English
Booking in Danish

Contact
For logistics and general questions, please contact:
Camille Maja Christensen, Event Coordinator, Municipality of Copenhagen,+4524643490, bd2q@kk.dk

11