CIRCULANDIA: Building Circular and Regenerative Food Systems Together

With the support of:

CIRCULANDIA is a European Horizon Europe project that develops, demonstrates and scales circular solutions for regenerative agriculture, local food systems and reusable packaging. The project brings together businesses, cities, regions, research and civil society organisations, and citizens to make food systems more sustainable, resilient and climate-friendly. Through practical demonstrations and replication activities across different European regions, CIRCULANDIA aims to accelerate the transition towards circular food systems.

Why this project?

Food systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss and growing amounts of waste. At the same time, the need for local, resilient and sustainable food production continues to grow.

CIRCULANDIA is based on the conviction that these challenges can only be addressed through systemic change. The project therefore focuses on three closely interconnected themes:

Regenerative agriculture and circular nutrient flows;
Local food systems;
Reusable packaging systems.

By bringing these themes together, CIRCULANDIA aims to support cities and regions in developing future-proof circular food systems.

Research approach and expected results

How does CIRCULANDIA work?

CIRCULANDIA employs a three-tier scaling model. Innovations are first developed and tested in demonstration cities and regions. The solutions are then adapted to new contexts in replication cities. Finally, they are further disseminated through multiplier regions, enabling successful practices to be adopted on a wider scale.

In this way, the project develops transferable and scalable models that contribute to the European Green Deal and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI).

What happens within the project?

CIRCULANDIA includes a wide range of demonstration, innovation and scaling activities, including:

Scaling up systems for monitoring soil carbon sequestration;
Supporting the transition of municipal farmland towards regenerative agricultural practices;
Valorising local and underutilised biological resources and side streams;
Demonstrations of urban and local food production systems;
Developing and demonstrating reusable packaging ecosystems;
Initiatives that encourage consumer engagement with reusable takeaway packaging systems;
Developing new governance and business models for circular food systems.

The role of Flanders’ FOOD

Within CIRCULANDIA, Flanders’ FOOD supports the development and scaling of circular solutions across food value chains. This involves collaboration with companies, cities, regional authorities, research organisations and civil society organisations throughout Europe.

Within the project, the City of Roeselare acts as a replication city for innovative local food systems. Together with Flanders’ FOOD, successful demonstrations from other European regions are translated into the Flemish context. In addition, Flanders’ FOOD contributes to the development of methodologies and handbooks that help other regions implement and scale circular food systems.

For Flanders, the project offers opportunities to further develop and embed new circular business models, local food chains and innovative forms of collaboration within the existing innovation ecosystem.

Impact

CIRCULANDIA aims to contribute to:

A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions;
More efficient use of resources;
Reduced food and packaging waste;
Restoration of soil health and biodiversity;
Stronger local and regional food systems;
Wider adoption of circular business models across Europe.

By not only developing solutions but also systematically scaling them, the project aims to make a lasting contribution to the transition towards a circular and climate-neutral food sector.

Project partners

CIRCULANDIA brings together 35 organisations from 12 European countries, including cities, regions, companies, research organisations, NGOs and innovation clusters, all working together to develop and scale circular food systems.

Core partners

CLIC Innovation - coördinator (Finland)
Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council
City of Vantaa
Stadt Freiburg
Ajuntament de Manacor
Møre og Romsdal County Council
Métropole Européenne de Lille
Stad Roeselare
City of Espoo
Município de São João da Madeira
Zagrebački Holding
IPALLE
Baltic Sea Action Group
Finnish Meteorological Institute
NORSØK
Kekkilä-BVB
University of Helsinki
Flanders' FOOD
Mission Zero Academy
Rezero
Evolvis
Fair Resource Foundation
University of Vaasa
GreenDelta
IDEA Consult

Associated partners

In addition, several cities and regions support the wider deployment and scaling of the solutions developed throughout Europe.

Câmara Municipal do Funchal (Portugal)
Executive Committee of the Khmelnytskyi City Council of Khmelnytskyi Region (Oekraïne)
Executive Committee of Lutsk City Council (Oekraïne)
Ville de Bruxelles (België)
Ville de Roubaix (Frankrijk)
Métropole de Lyon (Frankrijk)
Latvijas Korporativas Socialas Atbildibas Platforma (Letland)
Municipality of Tuusula (Finland)
City of Hyvinkää (Finland)
City of Raasepori (Finland)