The second session of the series of meetings organized by Localog – Piattaforma per la Logistica Contadina, the Italian Innovation Hub created within the Food4CE project, will take place on Tuesday, 18th February, 2025. This session will focus on freight transport in alternative food networks.
The guest will be Francesca Marconi, President of the Regional Forum for Solidarity Economy of Emilia-Romagna, who will share insights on the experience of the “solidarity van”, a transport project dedicated to Solidarity Purchasing Groups (GAS) and small producers.
What are Solidarity Purchasing Groups?
These are groups of citizens who organize locally to purchase products from small producers, sharing the costs and goods while adopting a conscious and critical approach to consumption. Their core principles are solidarity, fairness, and economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
Citizens establish direct relationships with suppliers, selecting them based on criteria such as respect for the environment and people, fair pay for producers, and product quality.
Why are we discussing this?
Several Solidarity Purchasing Groups across Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Lombardy, and Piedmont have attempted to organize collective transport from producers to their distribution networks.
However, despite their highly sustainable agro-ecological production practices, alternative food networks often rely on private fossil-fuel-based transportation solutions.
The discussion will focus on how cooperative solutions in alternative food networks can reduce the environmental impact of transportation through joint planning, consolidation, and optimization.
The event is open to researchers, public institutions, and anyone interested in the topic.
When: Tuesday, February 18th, 16:00 – 17:30
Where: Online on Microsoft Teams.
Learn more about the solidarity van here.