Just before the summer of 2025, the Ghent city council decided to discontinue the Ghent en Garde urban food policy and to cease funding for the Ghent Food Council. This brought to an end twelve years during which the city had actively collaborated with organizations, local entrepreneurs, educational institutions, civil society, and citizens to make Ghent’s food system more sustainable.
But the city’s decision to discontinue the policy does not mean the end of collective efforts around sustainable food and agriculture. During three
workshops, a group of Ghent citizens and organizations identified what was lost with the discontinuation of the food policy, what new opportunities had arisen, and what future collaboration might look like.
A smaller core group of enthusiasts took all the input and developed a concrete proposal: the Ghent Food Initiative. This is how we aim to keep the commitment to food in Ghent alive—and expand it. We’d like to share all the work that led up to this with a broad audience and launch the Ghent Food Initiative in a festive way.
Practical Information
- Don’t have a babysitter? No problem! Children ages 3 to 12 are welcome. We’ll provide a fun activity and healthy snacks.
- Participation is free
- The event will be held in Dutch.
- If you do not speak the language or have other support needs (e.g., regarding mobility, assistive devices, pace, or care), please let us know in advance and we will work together to find solutions.
