The CULTIVATE Compass starts to take shape with the launch of the Library of Citizen Engagement, the first of five planned tools
What does citizen engagement in food sharing look like? Not just forms, petitions, and lengthy meetings, but people gathering over meals, sharing culture, and shaping the future of their communities. That’s the question driving the CULTIVATE team at Wageningen University, which has launched the Library of Citizen Engagement—a resource that showcases how modes of organization around food sharing are emerging as a powerful tool for social connection and democratic participation.
Food as a gateway to civic action
As communities across Europe search for more inclusive and meaningful ways to engage residents, food has proven to be a surprisingly effective catalyst. We observed that food sharing initiatives attract people who might not otherwise meet—whether they’re gardening, cooking, eating, or redistributing surplus food. Food becomes a gateway to civic action. While some participants are motivated by political ideals, others join for social connection or economic necessity. But whatever the reason, food sharing activities are reshaping what it means to take part in public life. This emerging model—sometimes called food citizenship—positions people not just as consumers but as co-creators of local food systems and policies.
The Library of Citizen Engagement: tools, games and storie
The Library of Citizen Engagement is both an online and physical resource that brings together practical tools, games, and stories from real-life initiatives across Europe. It’s designed to help individuals, grassroots groups, and institutions alike spur, sustain, and scale up participation in food sharing activities. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all guide, the Library emphasizes diversity and adaptability. The tools featured in the library are grounded in lived experiences, tailored to local contexts, and showing how collaboration between citizens, researchers, artists, and governments can drive sustainable change.
People playing the “Future of Food Sharing” card game during the Cartesius buurtfeest in Utrecth
On Saturday 17th of May, during the Cartesius buurtfeest in Utrecth, the "Future of Food Sharing" card game was played with the new and future residents of this inspiring, still-developing neighborhood.
Using the game — created as part of the EU project CULTIVATE and developed in collaboration with Play the City — they co-imagined a vibrant local food future. Together, the players designed:
- Community fridges for each housing project
- A communal kitchen in the main Cartesius building
- More picnic tables in the park (because there aren’t enough!)
- Plant and seed swap locations to support the flourishing veggie garden
“It was heartening to see how Cartesius is not only being built physically but also socially. With the city investing in public spaces and grassroots food initiatives, a connected and caring neighborhood is already emerging” shared Txell Blanco Diaz, researcher of the CULTIVATE Project and part of the Rural Sociology Group.
Building the Library
To build the Library, the CULTIVATE team conducted extensive desk research, 12 interviews with practitioners from both the CULTIVATE Consortium and the Utrecht food sharing ecosystem, and hands-on fieldwork. Key insights were drawn from testing sessions held during the Lab & Kitchen events in Utrecht in September 2023 and 2024. A central goal was to move beyond abstract theories of participation and instead identify real-world enablers and barriers to engagement. By exploring how food-related spaces create room for action, connection, and shared decision-making, the Library hopes to inform future policy and grassroots practice alike.
The power of food
From our research it became clear that food is more than sustenance, it is a cultural binder, a symbol of care and a medium for organizing social life. Whether celebrating, mourning, resisting or building community, food plays a central role in how people relate to one another and to the places they live.
With the launch of the Library of Citizen Engagement, we aim to strengthen the role of food sharing as a strategy for community development. As cities face increasing challenges- from climate change to social fragmentation- this initiative offers a timely reminder: meaningful change can start with something as simple as sitting down to share a meal with ‘strangers’, restocking a community fridge or tending to a vegetable plot.
For more information on the Library of Citizen Engagement visit:
https://libraryofcitizenengagement.softr.app/
Photo credits: Leonardo Improta, Txell Blanco
Project website: https://cultivate-project.eu/
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Instagram: cultivate_eu
Facebook: Cultivate project
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