FRONTSH1P Workshop Highlights Circular and Sustainable Food Systems in Northern Portugal
July 15, 2025

Authors:Raquel de Sousa (INL) with contributions from Teresa Carvalho (PortugalFoods)

Porto, 25 June 2025— The Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the North (CCDR-NORTE), PortugalFoods, and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) hosted a workshop titled “Food Sovereignty and Circularity in Food Systems”. Held at CCDR-Norte’s auditorium. the workshop aimed to reinforce collaboration across Northern Portugal’s municipalities (NUTS II), experts, and stakeholders from both public and private sectors, targeting the development of resilient, sustainable, and circular food systems.

Following two earlier workshops for the Food & Feed value chain (CSS2) focused on barriers and challenges such as legal frameworks, innovation, product design and value chain valorisation, this workshop concentrated on validating previously identified challenges and collaboratively defining practical solutions for building sustainable and circular food systems.

🏫 School Food Sustainability in Focus

The first session spotlighted the innovative Programme for Food Sustainability in Schools (PSAE) from Torres Vedras, renowned for its decentralised governance, local procurement strategies, and child-centric approaches to food waste measurement and reduction. Maria João Rauch (SDSN Portugal) provided inspirational examples from circular cities like Mouans-Sartoux (France). Municipalities from Northern Portugal, including Guimarães and Arcos de Valdevez, discussed local challenges – workforce retention, raw material shortages, and scaling production – and their tailored responses. These include digital match-making waste valorisation platforms and prioritising certified local products, such as Cachena beef, in school canteens.

🌱 Panel on Food System Transition

A lively panel discussion followed, moderated by Helena Real (APN), with contributions from representatives of the Direct General for Education, COTHN, ATAHCA, FCNAUP, LIPOR, and GPP. Topics included sustainable production, environmentally and socially responsible public procurement, enhanced food literacy, impact of food in health, and the integral role local communities play in transitioning towards sustainable food systems.

💬 Participant Engagement to Co-work on Circular Solutions

Throughout the event, the participants were encouraged to reflect upon circular solutions to the already identified challenges and to contribute with potential solutions to a Jam board. Solutions were clustered into six strategic areas: 1) Regenerative, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture, 2) Regional Food Systems, 3) Environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and Circular Public Procurement, 4) Healthy Food Habits, 5) Food Waste Prevention and 6) Education, Awareness and Capacity-building.

📌 Key Takeaways and Next Steps

The event achieved 66% attendance with nearly half of the participants representing Academia, Research institutes and Government/Public Authority organisations.

The session underscored the importance of:

  1. Sustained political commitment from local and regional authorities to ensure resources, continuity, and systemic transformation;
  2. A multidisciplinary strategic vision integrating environmental, economic, social, and territorial dimensions;
  3. Effective communication and knowledge exchange of proven good practices and transparent learning from less successful experiences;
  4. Scaling initiatives via strategic public procurement to better link urban and rural contexts;
  5. Cross-sectoral education and training aimed at community, students, technical professionals and policymakers, to transform food-related behaviours and practices at community and institutional levels.

The North Region of Portugal is one of the four replication regions involved in the transition to circular economy within the framework of the FRONTSH1P project (WP8). We are currently organising the next events focusing on:

  • Workshop focusing on Industry Stakeholders from Plastics & Rubber (CSS4) value chains on July 15th at CCDR-N, Porto
  • Workshop focusing on Waste management Stakeholders from Food& Feed (CSS2) and Plastics & Rubber (CSS4) on July 30th at CCDR-N, Porto
  • Final seminar focusing on both value chains and stakeholders expected to occur on October 14th.

For more information please contact: raquel.desousa@inl.int.