Last month, the ROOTED consortium gathered in Brussels and Lille for its first in-person meeting, bringing together researchers, community kitchens, NGOs, food producers and public authorities to explore how Landed Community Kitchens (LCKs) can help transform Europe’s food systems.

LCKs combine access to food, social inclusion and community building. By connecting local food production with neighbourhood spaces where people can access, prepare and share food, they offer new opportunities to build more inclusive, sustainable and resilient food systems.

Through 8 Living Labs and a network of 50+ kitchens across 20 cities and 10 countries, ROOTED will explore how these initiatives can grow and become a lasting part of Europe’s food infrastructure.

The kick-off included visits to community kitchens, food gardens, social groceries and cooperative supermarkets, meeting the organisations already connecting food, community and place.

Together, the consortium will explore key questions:
>> How can community kitchens connect local food production, access to nutritious food and social support?
>> What policies, partnerships and governance models can help them thrive?
>> How can place-based approaches address structural inequalities in our food systems?

A big thank you to all the hosting partners and organisations who welcomed us and shared their inspiring work. And thanks to all ROOTED partners for bringing their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to this journey!

Read more about this project and it’s kick-off.

Picture: ROOTED, Eutropian