SURFIT

SURFIT will bring together SFNs, local policymakers and a multidisciplinary set of researchers from four mid-size cities to jointly conduct transdisciplinary research in Urban Food Labs (UFLs) with an urban living lab approach. The aim of this research is to explore, understand and engage in how catalysers can be designed to scale SFNs for systemic transitions. The project will deliver design principles and reflexive guidance in embedding catalysers to advance and scale SFNs.

The project takes place in Maastricht (NL), Malmo (S), Krakow (PL), Trento (I).


 

Impact and benefits of the SURFIT Project

Societal impact

SURFIT directly addresses pressing societal challenges around urban food security, social equity, and environmental sustainability by strengthening and scaling Sustainable Food Networks (SFNs). The project aims to:

• Improve access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for all urban residents, including low-income and marginalized communities—thereby tackling urban "food deserts" and food injustice.
• Empower local food producers and social enterprises, offering economic security and fairer value distribution within the food system.
• Enhance community cohesion by supporting participatory food initiatives rooted in local needs, knowledge, and values.
   

Environmental and circularity benefits

SURFIT supports a transition toward circular urban food systems by:

• Promoting short food supply chains that reduce transport emissions, food loss, and packaging waste.
• Encouraging practices like community composting, surplus food redistribution, and urban agriculture to close resource loops.
• Integrating SFNs with other urban resource systems (e.g., waste, water, and energy), boosting urban circularity and ecological resilience.
   

Scientific and methodological innovation

SURFIT advances scientific understanding in several key ways:

• It introduces and tests the novel concept of "catalysers" as systemic enablers of food system transitions—grounded in real-world experimentation and theory from transition studies, food sociology, and the circular economy.
• It develops a conceptual framework and design principles for catalysers, offering tools for both academic inquiry and applied use.
• It applies a transdisciplinary, living lab methodology (Urban Food Labs), co-producing knowledge through collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors.
   

Policy and governance benefits

SURFIT has strong potential to influence urban food policies and governance frameworks:
 

• By demonstrating what works in different city contexts, the project will produce actionable insights and policy recommendations for embedding SFNs in municipal strategies.
• It provides a model for inclusive, public-private collaboration in the co-design and implementation of sustainable food systems.
• It supports the development of new regulatory and financial instruments that incentivize circular, just, and regenerative food systems.

European and international relevance

While rooted in four mid-sized European cities, SURFIT’s results will be broadly applicable:
 

• The design principles, snapshot briefs, and policy tools developed will serve as transferable models for other cities in Europe and beyond.
• By contributing to knowledge on scaling bottom-up sustainability initiatives, the project strengthens Europe’s leadership in implementing the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Circular Economy Action Plan.