Food

An aerial view of people pushing a card full of fresh and brightly coloured fruit and vegetables through a rainy and slightly flooded street

A person crouching down to tend to young plants in a garden, with a row of residential buildings behind

Advancing the transition to a healthy and affordable food industry within cities that benefits the climate, nature and people.

OPPORTUNITY

The global food system is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and faces the further challenge of feeding an expanding world population of 10 billion. To accelerate a green, fair and inclusive economy, we must shift the food industry towards healthy, regenerative, and equitable practices. In this context, cities bridge the gap between consumers and the food industry, playing a key role in transitioning towards a green, fair and inclusive food system.

We believe our systems approach to industry transformation can catalyse a just transition in the food system. We’re supporting partners to develop, scale and amplify city-level interventions to reshape the food industry and help food businesses adopt strategies that promote sustainable and healthy food options accessible to everyone. Through public procurement policies, innovation support and industry engagement, urban centres can lead the way to a just and resilient food future.

30%

of global greenhouse gas emissions are from the food industry
8%

of emissions are from food waste
3 billion

of all the food produced in the world is consumed in urban areas

Where we focus

We are funding initiatives to help us understand where we can achieve the most impact:

Shifting demand toward more sustainable choices through industry offering a different selection of products.
Shaping more local, sustainable and resilient food supply chains across cities.
Tackling food loss and waste in cities through circular economy approaches.

Out of scope

Areas outside our current focus:

Agriculture and aquaculture.
Land use and forestry management for food production.
Agroecology and other non-urban-centred food system transformations.
Animal welfare: Our efforts are directed towards systemic changes within food production and consumption that cities and industries can directly influence, leaving animal welfare to specialised organisations.