Food systems in play: Peer learning in Amsterdam and Utrecht

Facilitated by Eurocities and hosted by Amped, in collaboration with the EU4Advice Dutch Living Lab, participants from Marseille and Wallonia recently took part in a two-day peer-learning visit to Amsterdam and Utrecht. The programme offered rich opportunities for exchange through visits to Grounded Community in Utrecht, the Nieuw-West food market, and Voedselpark Amsterdam, highlighting how both cities are rethinking food systems to make them fairer and more local.

For Mark Frederiks, Managing Director of Amped, food systems can be viewed as a kind of game, where success depends not only on practical logistics but also on building trust, establishing networks, and exploring new ways of working together. Amped has spent more than a decade weaving such networks, from youth communities in Utrecht to international collaborations with agri-business and ecosystem restoration groups. Its central goal remains clear: to keep food systems local, fair, and sustainable.

During the visit, participants explored how this philosophy plays out in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West district, one of the city’s poorest areas. They saw the contrast between a community garden attracting middle-class residents and a nearby market serving low-income families, and discussed ways to bridge these divides. Amped illustrated how local leadership and municipal support can combine to make healthier food more accessible while also generating local economic opportunities.

The lessons were immediate. For Roberta Rigo of the Cité de l’Agriculture in Marseille, the visit provided “a theoretical framework and a powerful narrative” for her work, while Romane Cloquet from Cellule Manger Demain in Wallonia highlighted the diverse strategies to connect stakeholders.

The exchange did not end there: the following month, Amped travelled to Pau, France, continuing the cycle of peer learning that aims to build resilient and inclusive food systems across Europe.

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