Accelerating transitions to healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems
Cities are shifting to sustainable diets that nourish communities and protect the environment
Food systems are a critical intersection of health, environment, climate, and justice. The food system, including the foods we eat and what is wasted, is responsible for about 30% of the pollution that causes climate change.
Millions of people in cities still lack access to healthy food that is sustainably produced. If current trends continue, emissions from food could rise by nearly 40% by 2050. Even if we completely stop using fossil fuels for energy, the current impact from our food system alone would still cause dangerous levels of global heating.
Because cities consume the majority of the world’s food, they have real leverage to change course. By setting policies, shaping procurement, and working with the private sector, mayors can improve diets, support a shift towards more plant-rich eating that is healthier for people and the planet, and reduce emissions by doing so.. The C40 Good Food Cities Accelerator brings together 16 C40 cities. Their goal is to provide healthy diets for all of their residents by 2030. This initiative aims to reduce food-related emissions while ensuring access to nutritious food that promotes community health and environmental sustainability and reduces food waste.
Key achievements in the Accelerator so far:
- 69% of signatory cities are aligning school feeding programmes with the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet (emphasising plant-rich foods and less meat and processed foods for human and environmental health)
- 31% drop in high-emission foods and 44% increase in plant-based foods when cities shifted to public food procurement
- 94% of signatory cities are implementing food loss and waste reduction activities
- 16% drop in food-related GHG emissions from public food procurement
- 17% drop in food-related GHG emissions from food loss and waste reduction
How cities are transforming food systems
Cities control major food procurement budgets and institutional feeding programmes
City governments buy large amounts of food for schools, hospitals, and other public services. This gives them a large role over food systems, helping shift demand from high-emission, resource-intensive production towards healthier, more sustainable options.
Cities can partner with food businesses to transition food options to healthier, more sustainable choices
Beyond their own procurement power, cities can influence the wider urban food environment by working with private food retailers, restaurants, and canteens. Through city-business alliances, cities can support food businesses to:
- offer more plant-rich and healthy options
- make these options more affordable and easier to find
- place them prominently and market them appealingly
This collaboration helps cities scale dietary change across residents’ everyday food choices, reaching far beyond public institutions.
Food system transformation addresses multiple policy priorities simultaneously
Sustainable food policies can reduce healthcare costs, improve educational outcomes, support economic development, and enhance environmental quality. Cities implementing the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet see improvements across public health, climate, and social equity objectives through integrated approaches.
Urban food policies create measurable health and environmental co-benefits
Cities participating in food system transitions report reduced diet-related disease rates, improved food security, and lower environmental impacts. These policies deliver visible improvements in community wellbeing while contributing to broader climate and sustainability goals.
What cities commit to through the C40 Good Food Cities Accelerator
Cities that join the C40 Good Food Cities Accelerator commit to achieving the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet for all residents by 2030 through comprehensive food system transformation.
Commitment 1: Align food procurement to the planetary health diet
Cities will align food procurement to the planetary health diet, ideally sourced from organic agriculture, transforming institutional food purchasing across schools, hospitals, and public facilities.
Commitment 2: Support increased healthy plant-rich food consumption
Cities will support an overall increase in healthy plant-rich food consumption by shifting away from unsustainable, unhealthy diets through community engagement and business partnerships. This includes building city-business alliances (for example, through voluntary commitments, challenges, or similar models) to engage food retailers, restaurants, and canteens in the dietary shift.
Commitment 3: Reduce food loss and waste by 50%
Cities will reduce food loss and waste by 50% from a 2015 baseline through recovery programmes, redistribution initiatives, composting systems, and policy interventions.
Commitment 4:
Cities will work with residents, businesses, public institutions, and other organisations to develop a joint strategy for achieving these goals inclusively and equitably, and incorporating this strategy into climate action plans.
Cities committed to the C40 Good Food Cities Accelerator
Barcelona, Copenhagen, Guadalajara, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Montréal, New York City, Oslo, Paris, Quezon City, Seoul, Stockholm, Tokyo, Toronto
Questions about the Good Food Cities Accelerator?
Contact food@c40.org for information on commitment requirements, implementation strategies, and participating cities.
Related
Cities have strong control over many aspects of urban food systems. Our work in this area helps cities to implement solutions that make it easier for people to eat more plant-based options and waste less food. Doing so will help reduce emissions, improve health and equity, and enhance climate resilience around the world.
Discover how mayors and cities worldwide are delivering on their commitments to take urgent climate action through C40’s High-Impact Accelerators.
