Public food procurement plays a critical role in shaping food systems that are more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. As emphasized in Risteco’s policy paper, achieving a green and just transition requires moving beyond commitments to concrete actions—embedding environmental, social, and economic sustainability into procurement strategies.
This webinar will bring together Prof. Roberto Caranta, a specialist in public procurement law, who will examine the legal frameworks that enable sustainability in procurement. Prof. Bent Egberg Mikkelsen, from Lund University, an expert in public health nutrition and sustainable urban food systems, will discuss the role of food environments and systemic change in procurement with a special emphasis on food at school. Betina Madsen Bergman, a practitioner at the Municipality of Copenhagen and member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Procurement, will share insights on implementing sustainable procurement at the local level and integrating EU sustainability criteria into public tenders.
Through a dynamic discussion on regulatory challenges, policy innovations, and operational realities, the panel will connect legal mandates with real-world implementation to identify concrete solutions for local and European action.
Moderators:
- Sylvestre Nivet, Project Manager at AGORES.
- Chiara Falvo, Project Manager of the EU-funded SchoolFood4Change (SF4C) project at Risteco and MSCA fellow in SAPIENS Network.
Speakers:
- Prof. Roberto Caranta, expert in sustainable public procurement and EU law, with a strong focus on food procurement policies. Full Professor at the University of Turin.
- Prof. Bent Egberg Mikkelsen, expert in public health nutrition and sustainable food urban systems. Professor at Lund University, Dept of Service Studies and at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.
- Betina Madsen Bergman, expert in sustainable and organic food procurement at the Municipality of Copenhagen.
Agenda
10.00 – 10.15 Welcoming and Introduction.
10.15 – 10.35 Reclaiming Public Procurement: Legal Pathways to a Sustainable and Just Food System.
10.35 – 10.55 Nourishing the Future: Public Procurement as a Catalyst for Healthier and Sustainable Diets.
10.55 – 11.15 From Policy to Practice: Scaling Sustainable Food Procurement Through Innovation and Local Action.
11.15 – 11.55 Round Table and Q&A Session
11.55– 12:00 Closing remarks
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