The program “Future is Severed!” supports local authorities to work with citizens, actors from agriculture and the economy, and civil society to make regional food systems more sustainable. Ideas and concrete actions are developed and tested through participatory and inclusive processes. Together with our partners B.A.U.M. Consult, IKU_DIE DIALOGGESTALTER and the Bundesverband für Regionalbewegung e.V. (Federal Association for Regional Movements), we offer a broad knowledge transfer in the application phase, during which interested municipalities identify specific topics and projects, as well as devise suitable models for citizen participation. Rural communities with up to 50,000 citizens can be funded under the program.
Up to 10 municipalities in Germany will receive funding and ongoing professional support. Within the funded projects, local authorities, civil society actors, the (rural) economy, and citizens will develop compromises together aimed at the common good. By doing so, conflicting objectives are made visible, mandates are sharpened, and solutions are developed and tested that are suitable for future generations.
The project will be scientifically evaluated throughout its implementation phase. This will demonstrate the potential of different participatory methods for shaping sustainable, healthy, and inclusive food environments at the local level. The international discourse and the experiences gained from good practices in other European countries will also be included in the project.