Territorial Food Project


The Territorial Food Project (PAT) of Bouches-du-Rhône was initiated by Aix-Marseille Provence Metropole and Pays d’Arles in the context of the national call for projects launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2016. It was not selected at the national level but at the regional level. The PAT is now being developed over a 36-month period in order to meet the labelling criteria defined by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Contact details

Function / Organisation : Director of Agriculture, Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole , Territorial Food Project

E-mail : martine.therond@ampmetropole.fr

Website : http://www.marseille-provence.fr

Territory of Aix-Marseille métropole and Pays d'Arles, France

Stakeholders

  • Elected representatives of Aix-Marseille Provence Metropole, Pays d’Arles and included municipalities, as well as technical staff working on relevant topics
  • Co-funding institutions: Bouches-du-Rhône Department, French State, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
  • Chamber of Agriculture, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chamber of Trades, Regional Chamber of the Social and Solidarity Economy, Natural Parks
  • Representatives of research institutions, local associations and the private sector

Objectives

  • Promoting all forms of quality, local and eco-friendly agriculture
  • Preserving agricultural land and landscapes of Provence through the creation of agrarian parks
  • Bringing production closer to consumption
  • Ensuring farmers’ quality of life and recognition
  • Promoting access to quality local products and healthy food for everyone
  • Promoting the local food heritage through the Mediterranean diet
  • Positioning agricultural and food policy at the heart of the territorial project

Legal framework & Budget

Territorial food projects were introduced by the French Law for the Future of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (LAAF) of 2014 and formalised by an instruction of the Ministry of Agriculture, which defines the objectives, scope, content and development process of territorial food projects.

Activities

The PAT of Bouches-du-Rhône will focus on 5 challenges: economy and employment; nutrition, health and social accessibility to quality food; urban planning and development; environment; Food and cultural heritage. Over a 36-month period, it will launch an ambitious agricultural and food strategy for the territory. This process involves the following steps: the development of an agricultural and food diagnosis of the territory; the selection of demonstrative projects and their accompaniment; the launching of a thematic project on out-of-home catering; the implementation of communication actions to pro- mote these actions.

>Innovation & Outcomes

The main innovation of the PAT of Bouches-du-Rhône is its collaborative governance, co-led by Aix-Marseille Provence Metropole and Pays d’Arles, and its participative development approach. It involves representatives of the entire agricultural and food chain in a continuous diagnostic process, allows actors who do not meet to work together and promotes the multitude of initiatives, public or private, large or small, existing throughout the entire territory.

Project budget
440 000

Main obstacles & Next steps

The main obstacle is access to agricultural land due to peri-urban pressure and the need for a strong political backing. Effective governance and coordination between all stakeholders of this territorial food system will be a key factor of success for the PAT of Bouches-du-Rhône.

More on :

http://www.marseille-provence.fr


Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund