Article by Jennifer Lyons (Trinity College Dublin), Vera Sadovska & Yuliya Voytenko Palgan (Lund University)
The first day of Mobile Research Lab on food sharing in Milan in the Cultivate project yielded five study visits and experiences. We learnt about Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and municipal work with food policy and food waste hubs, ate lunch at Rob de Matt restaurant offering job training for vulnerable people and talked to its founder, visited the cargo bike food delivery service SODE, went on a tour at Gallaratese food waste hub, which has a food bank and a social supermarket for local households in need and popped into a local community garden GiambellOrto bringing nature, food-growing experience and social activities to urbanites.
The second day of the Mobile research Lab was packed with activities. We visited Mosso, a multifunctional community space and social inclusion project, and toured its workshops that encourage upcycling, repair and re-use. We ate lunch at its restaurant and spoke to its founder who is also involved with the newly opened Loreto Neighborhood Hub against Food Waste.
A short walk away from Mosso was Orti di Via Padova, where one of the gardeners told us about the history of the space, and we discussed collective environmental action. Then we walked to visit Ortoemporio, a community shop that emphasises food waste reduction and ‘zero kilometre’ production.
Next, we crossed the city for a guided tour of a 17th-century farmhouse preserved in central Milan, with spaces for culture and participation. Cascina Cuccagna has a farmers’ market, an educational garden, a library, a macrame and plant shop, a guesthouse, and cookery school. We joined other academics for a discussion of the Milan food sharing landscape over dinner in the restaurant on site.
Day three was a really special day with a morning visit to IBVA, which works to combat food poverty in Milan. IBVA is a lay foundation, with 200-year-old roots in religious philanthropy, in central Milan. The multifunctional building houses a training and education centre, childcare facilities, and an emergency accommodation facility, as well as a social supermarket and social bakery which helps vulnerable people in Milan to access basic food necessities. IBVA has worked together with Terre des Hommes to supply the Gallaratese Neighbourhood Hub since 2021. IBVA’s social supermarket Solidando is a standalone Hub Centro since 2022.
Later that day, we visited another project, a social restaurant called Progetto Ruben, where we listened to the operations management team tell us about their customers and stories of how families come to need this solidarity restaurant. We ate dinner in the restaurant; there was plenty of choice, delicious food, and a team of volunteers to help everyone find seats and serve drinks. Working families who suddenly find themselves in a difficult financial situation will often use this smart, friendly restaurant service. Our meeting was often interrupted by cheerful hellos and warm greetings to the managers; the restaurant patrons are evidently fond of the operations team.
Thursday was a day beginning with academic knowledge exchange at the Politecnico di Milano (The Polytechnic University of Milan), where experts in the Milan urban food landscape shared their research findings. The activity “Sustainable Food Consumption in Cities: Research and Practice Workshop” was an opportunity for sharing, debate and connection. We were given a tour of the community garden Coltivando on the grounds, where the plants were delighted with the heavy rain and looking splendid, whilst the humans endured the rain with umbrellas and good humour. Later that afternoon we crossed the city once more to visit Hub Isola, operated by Banco Alimentare Lombardia, where we heard about its unique operations in the neighbourhood.
The last day was full of reflection on all the people and amazing work we had encountered during the Mobile Research Lab. Additionally, the team had an opportunity to volunteer at SOSPESA food hub together with Off Campus NoLo activists. A dozen food bags were packed with rescued fruits and vegetables from the indoor market of NoLo and several boxes of rescued fruits were delivered to a local cafe and bakery for making pastries. These activities are multifunctional as they create community among local residents, increase the sense of belonging and fight food waste at the same time.
What a week for the Lund University IIIEE & Trinity College Dublin team in the Cultivate project! Five intensive days of Mobile Research Lab in Milan, full of reflections and stimulating discussions. We are so grateful to our amazing colleagues and friends from the City of Milan, Politecnico di Milano, the University of Trento and all the food-sharing initiatives who opened their doors to us and talked about their activities.
Photo credits: Jennifer Lyons, Vera Sadovska & Yuliya Voytenko Palgan
