The Urban Laboratory for Public Food Policy (LUPPA) held the second seminar of the program’s 5th edition this Wednesday (25). Organized by ICLEI, the online meeting was part of the 2026 training program and brought together municipal managers from the network to discuss the role of local food system policies in prevention, response, and recovery in the face of extreme weather events.

With the theme “The role of local food system policies in prevention, response, and recovery in the face of extreme weather events,” the seminar began with the observation that events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves have directly impacted the ability of local communities to ensure regular and adequate access to food. In this context, it is observed that the food dimension is still poorly integrated into climate risk planning and management tools at the municipal level.

The program began with a presentation by ICLEI, titled “Food Systems and Climate Risk Management: The Role of Local Policies in Prevention, Response, and Recovery Based on the Urban Resilience Scorecard.” On this occasion, tools developed by UNDRR were presented, such as the Urban Resilience Scorecard, aimed at diagnosing and strengthening resilience in cities, and the Food Systems Scorecard, a thematic instrument that seeks to integrate food systems into risk management and urban planning. The presentation highlighted the importance of incorporating food systems into climate adaptation and risk reduction strategies, within an integrated perspective of sustainable urban development, aligned with ICLEI’s work with local governments.

The seminar also featured presentations on municipal experiences. Porto Alegre (RS) shared lessons learned from the integrated action of different areas of public management in the context of extreme weather events, highlighting the importance of institutional coordination. Teresina (PI), meanwhile, presented initiatives aimed at addressing extreme heat and periods of drought, with a focus on food security and supply.

Throughout 2026, LUPPA will continue to organize seminars and workshops for participating cities, delving deeper into strategic themes to strengthen local food policies.

Stages

Throughout each edition, LUPPA is structured into different complementary stages: an educational program consisting of ten online seminars and workshops held throughout the year, which explore strategic themes aimed at strengthening public food policies in participating cities; the LUPPA Lab, an in-person immersion and exchange phase among municipalities; and LUPPA Web, an online event broadcast live on the Instituto Comida do Amanhã YouTube channel, which marks the conclusion of the edition and presents the initiative’s next steps. This framework aims to broaden understanding of food systems and strengthen institutional capacities to transform food in cities.

About the Program

LUPPA is a collaborative platform and an ongoing learning program designed to support and facilitate cities in promoting food policies with a systemic approach, in a cross-sectoral, coherent, and participatory manner. Conceived by the Food of Tomorrow Institute in collaboration with ICLEI Brazil, it has the full support of the Ibirapitanga Institute, the ICS – Climate and Society Institute, ITAÚSA, the Infinis Institute, and Porticus, in addition to institutional support from FAO Brazil – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – and methodological partnership from Reos Partners Brazil.