Circular Business Models for Sustainable Urban Food Systems

Explore how circular economy can foster sustainable urban food systems

Please note this course runs without facilitation. A Spanish version of the course can be found here.

In a scenario where the world’s population will reach 9 billion people in 2050, with almost 70% of them concentrated in urban areas and requiring three times more resources than we currently use, the traditional ‘linear economy’ is no longer suitable.

On this course, you’ll discover how to design and build circular food systems for resilient, smart and sustainable cities.

You’ll explore the catalytic role of cities to foster healthy and inclusive food policies, adopting systems thinking, institutional innovation, and participatory approaches in order to fulfill the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This course is primarily designed for policymakers, public institutions, intermediaries, and educators. It would also appeal to anyone with an interest in issues of sustainability and urban food systems.

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge on this topic, you might also find of interest the following EIT Food courses on sustainable food production and circular economy principles:

• Explore How Farmers Produce Food Sustainably
• Farm to Fork: Sustainable Food Production in a Changing Environment
• From Waste to Value: How To Tackle Food Waste
• Introduction to Food Science
• Trust in Our Food: Understanding Food Supply Systems

• Thinking and Acting Circular in the context of SDGs: why and for whom?
• Welcome
• Thinking Circular in the context of SDGs: Definitions, Origins and Concepts
• Implementing inter-connected Circular Economy thinking at micro, meso and macro level
• Circular Economy Roadblocks and Enablers
• Review and Reflect on Week 1
• Designing Circular Food Systems: Challenges and Opportunities
• Welcome to Week 2
• Circular Food Systems: Tools and Measurement
• Urban and Local Food Policies
• Drivers and Barriers for Food Systems Circularity
• Review and Reflect on Week 2
• Unlocking Value Creation through Circular Business Models
• Welcome to Week 3
• From Business Model Innovation to Circular Business Models
• Best Practices of Circular Business Models in Urban Food Systems
• Circular Business Model Design approaches
• Review and Reflect on Week 3
• Engaging Food System Stakeholders Effectively
• Welcome to Week 4
• Unlocking the potential of CE through Systems Thinking
• Educating on Circularity
• Communicating Circularity: Sustainability Reporting & Public Engagement
• Review and Reflect on Week 4