SUBMITTED
The City of Cleveland is proud to announce that it has officially signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), joining a coalition of 300 cities worldwide committed to developing sustainable and equitable urban food systems. This milestone comes as Cleveland completes it’s first-ever Food Policy Landscape & Audit, a tool for understanding the city’s food landscape and setting a path for coordinated action.
The audit, conducted over the past year in partnership with the Harvard Law School Food Law & Policy Clinic, examines policies and programs across the city’s food system. It provides an initial assessment of where Cleveland is succeeding and where there are gaps. The findings now serve as a baseline as Cleveland steps into global collaboration through the Milan Pact.
“The health of our city starts with the health of our people — and that means rethinking how we grow, share, and access food in every Cleveland neighborhood,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “Food is not just a basic need — it’s a foundation for opportunity, dignity, and resilience. By completing this audit and joining the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, we’re making a clear commitment: to center equity in our food system, to invest in our local economy, and to build a future where all Clevelanders can thrive.”
By signing the Milan Pact, Cleveland is aligning itself with six key areas of action: governance, sustainable diets and nutrition, social and economic equity, food production, food supply and distribution, and food waste. The city will use the audit’s recommendations to develop a clear roadmap for progress in each area.
Key Opportunities as a Signatory of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact:
Access to global best practices and peer learning to strengthen Cleveland’s food system
Support for policy innovation in areas like sustainable public procurement, circular food
systems, and inclusive food governance
Tools to track progress through the MUFPP Monitoring Framework
Elevated visibility and leadership on the world stage as a city advancing food justice, public health, and climate resilience
“Joining the Milan Pact gives Cleveland a new platform for learning, sharing, and growing,” said Zainab Pixler, the City’s Local Food Systems Strategies Coordinator. “Together with the Food Policy Landscape & Audit, we now have a clearer picture of what’s working and where we have room to grow. This is an important step toward building food sovereignty here in Cleveland.”
The second portion of the Food Policy Landscape & Audit, a deep dive into key areas of improvement, will be published in June.
Learn more about the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact: https://www.milanurbanfoodpolicypact.org/
To access the Food Policy Landscape & Audit, visit https://www.notion.so/Cleveland-s-Local-Food-Policy-Landscape-Audit-1df8944e923b80c6bc38dd9211abde79.
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