Applications are open until October 30 for the sixth edition of the Urban Laboratory of Public Food Policies (LUPPA), an initiative of Instituto Comida do Amanhã in partnership with ICLEI América do Sul. Considered the largest public food policy laboratory in the world, the program will select up to ten new Brazilian cities to support in strengthening public policies focused on food and nutrition security. LUPPA currently brings together more than 70 municipalities in a network of learning, exchange, and technical cooperation.

The selected cities will take part in a learning and technical support journey throughout 2027, with workshops, thematic seminars, diagnostic tools, access to databases and technical publications, as well as exchanges with other municipalities. The program also includes mentoring from cities and institutions that have already made progress in building food policies, and support for municipal teams throughout the edition. The program also calls for the development of an “Anchor Project,” aimed at creating or strengthening a city action related to the local food system.

One of the main moments of the program will be LUPPA LAB, a national gathering scheduled for the first half of 2027. The five-day event may include experience-sharing activities, technical visits, methodological support, debates, and facilitated group activities.

“Reaching the 6th edition of LUPPA is an opportunity to keep strengthening a network of municipalities that recognize the importance of looking at food systems in an integrated and systemic way. With each edition, we learn from the cities’ different realities and experiences and improve the way we support the development of public policies that are more coordinated, sustainable, and connected to the needs of each territory. This edition is an invitation for more municipalities to become part of this collective effort and to share with us and with one another their challenges, experiences, and paths to transforming local food systems,” says Maria Eduardo Lemos, public policy analyst at Comida do Amanhã.

The sixth edition continues the work LUPPA has carried out since 2021, bringing together municipalities at different stages of developing their food policies and strengthening cooperation among public officials, institutions, and organizations working in the field.

Territorial diversity and a focus on the Legal Amazon

As part of its commitment to territorial diversity, the call for applications reserves 40% of the spots, that is, four of the ten available spots, for municipalities in the Legal Amazon. The selection also considers territorial diversity among the participating cities and gives preference to municipalities that include territories of traditional communities, such as quilombola, Indigenous, and caiçara communities.

Including cities from the Legal Amazon is among LUPPA’s goals to promote exchange between different territories and broaden the participation of municipalities facing different challenges and with different experiences related to food systems.

According to the 2024 Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua), 24.2% of Brazilian households were experiencing food insecurity, equivalent to 18.9 million households. The percentage represents a decrease from the 27.6% recorded in 2023.

How to participate

To participate, municipalities must fill out the application form and submit a letter of commitment signed by the mayor or deputy mayor. The application must also name at least two technical focal points from different municipal departments who are available to follow LUPPA’s activities.

The municipality must also provide information about the local structure dedicated to actions related to food systems, including departments or offices, teams, annual budget, and legal frameworks or action plans related to the topic. The call for applications also requires the nomination of a civil society representative through a Food and Nutrition Security Council or an equivalent body.

Applications for new cities remain open until October 20, at 11:59 p.m. More information and the full call for applications are available at: https://bit.ly/EditalLUPPA6

About LUPPA

LUPPA was conceived by Instituto Comida do Amanhã and is co-implemented with ICLEI América do Sul, with full support from Instituto Ibirapitanga, ITAÚSA, Infinis – Instituto Futuro é Infância Saudável, and Porticus, as well as institutional support from FAO Brazil – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The program brings together public officials and partner institutions with the goal of strengthening food systems governance, expanding access to healthy and sustainable food, and encouraging actions focused on local production, public procurement, and the fight against food waste and food insecurity, as well as promoting healthier food environments.