In total, 11 new cities are joining the world’s largest Urban Laboratory of Public Food Policies.

LUPPA – Laboratório Urbano de Políticas Públicas Alimentares (Urban Laboratory of Public Food Policies), carried out by Instituto Comida do Amanhã and co-implemented with ICLEI América do Sul, has announced the 11 cities that will make up the program’s 5th edition. The announcement was made during LUPPA WEB, a livestream broadcast on Comida do Amanhã’s YouTube channel on 12/10, which also marked the close of the 4th edition and presented the initiative’s next steps.

The selected cities, chosen based on criteria that prioritize territorial diversity and the strengthening of food policies across different Brazilian realities, are:

Altamira (PA)
Autazes (AM)
Bayeux (PB)
Boa Vista (RR)
Cruzeiro do Sul (AC)
Montenegro (RS)
Parauapebas (PA)
Planaltina (GO)
Ribeirão das Neves (MG)
São José dos Pinhais (PR)
Ubá (MG)

The 5th edition arrives at a decisive moment for LUPPA, which since 2021 has established itself as one of the most innovative programs in public food policy, bringing together more than 60 municipalities across 18 states, as well as five mentor cities. The program is internationally recognized for its ability to bring local governments together to tackle food, environmental and climate challenges with a systemic approach.

For Juliana Tângari, director of Comida do Amanhã, LUPPA renews itself with each edition, as the community grows and the municipalities’ capacity for action expands, and with it the expected impact: “The 5th edition marks a coming of age for the program, with accumulated lessons but certainly many challenges still to face. We are very proud and grateful to have earned the trust of so many officials, public servants, council members and experts in urban food systems, not only in Brazil but around the world – who look here to see what we are co-creating together,” she says.

LUPPA’s activities are organized in annual cycles, called editions. Each edition begins with the selection of new cities and, among the many activities of each LUPPA journey, LUPPA LAB is held every year: an in-person meeting for the exchange of experiences among municipal officials. In the 5th edition, the in-person meeting will take place in Caxias do Sul (RS), on a date yet to be defined. In addition, the program also includes a mentoring phase between mentor and mentee cities, and every two months follow-up workshops and seminars are held with the entire LUPPA community.

“LUPPA’s expansion shows how strategic food policies have become for cities and for sustainable urban development. By investing in this agenda, municipalities help strengthen food security, value local production and build more effective responses to climate and social challenges. The arrival of new cities adds to this trajectory with greater geographic representation, exchange of experiences and good practices,” adds Rodrigo Perpétuo, executive secretary of ICLEI América do Sul.

By joining LUPPA, municipalities become part of a strategic network of municipalities committed to building a healthier, more sustainable, fairer and more biodiverse food system.