Public land for local food policies: from European case studies to transferable models
The first key findings from this Action are now available and will be disseminated through two webinars, the first of which is planned for 13 July 2026.
The challenge: limited access to land
The core issue addressed by this Action is access to land for sustainable food systems. Although land is a fundamental resource for food and agriculture, in Europe it is becoming both increasingly inaccessible and degraded.
Land concentration is a major concern. In the EU, 3% of farms control 50% of farmland, while 80% of farms manage only 12% (European Parliament, 2017). Between 2005 and 2020, the EU lost 36% of its farms, equivalent to around 5.3 million holdings, most of which were small farms under 5 hectares (Eurostat, 2022).
Urban sprawl further contributes to the loss of agricultural land and increasing land artificialisation, limiting the development of local and resilient food systems (European Environment Agency, 2016). In urban areas, the lack of available land also constrains community-led initiatives that could otherwise strengthen food literacy, food security, and solidarity-based economies.
The role of local governments
Local governments have an important role to play in addressing these challenges through the sustainable management of public land. They can help bridge the urban–rural divide, support local food systems, and improve the urban food environment by leveraging both direct and indirect control over public land, whether in densely populated urban areas or in the rural hinterlands surrounding cities.
However, many local authorities are still not fully aware of the range of opportunities linked to public land management. As a result, they often lack the knowledge and tools needed to implement land-use strategies that actively support fair and sustainable food systems, leaving significant potential untapped.
Learning from practice: European case studies
To understand how public land can be used to strengthen local food policies, improve access to land for local and regional food producers, support soil health, and contribute to more sustainable food governance systems, a structured mapping exercise was conducted across Europe, with the support of an external expert.
This identified up to 21 relevant case studies in different EU Member States.
The initial long-list was intentionally broad, including a wide variety of approaches such as municipal farms, land banks, allotment systems, public agricultural estates, agroecological hubs, community-led initiatives, and circular land regeneration models.
The final selection was based on a transparent, multi-criteria assessment. Each case was evaluated against five key dimensions: strategic relevance to the Action of the Food Partnership, maturity of implementation and governance arrangements, availability of evidence and measurable outcomes, potential for transferability and scaling, and contribution to ensuring a diverse overall portfolio.
Rather than identifying a single “best practice,” the goal was to build a balanced and practical set of examples. This allows local authorities to compare different land governance instruments, management models, and implementation pathways, and to draw lessons that are adaptable to their own context.
The final short-list includes nine case studies across Europe.
What the cases reveal
One of the key insights from the selection process is that public land can support food systems in multiple and diverse ways. In some cities and regions, public authorities directly manage land and allocate plots to residents or farmers. Elsewhere, they act as facilitators through land banks, long-term leasing systems, or large public agricultural estates. Some municipalities also provide access to land for new entrants through testing schemes, while others use public ownership to guide environmental practices through lease conditions.
Alongside well-established models, the portfolio also includes more experimental approaches. These often focus on emerging priorities such as soil restoration, circular land use, and the regeneration of degraded land before agricultural production begins.
Across the cases, it becomes clear that access to public land alone is not enough. Successful initiatives typically combine several enabling factors: clear legal and contractual frameworks, transparent allocation procedures, strong administrative capacity, and effective coordination between public authorities and local stakeholders.
Many also rely on complementary support services such as training, technical assistance, incubation programmes, digital tools, or improved access to markets.
Finally, the cases highlight that transferability is highly context-dependent. Factors such as land ownership patterns, legal competences, institutional capacity, funding availability, farmer engagement, soil quality, and levels of public trust all influence whether and how a model can be replicated elsewhere.
Explore the case studies
To learn more, explore the individual case studies in detail and discover how different approaches to public land are shaping more sustainable and inclusive food systems across Europe.
Learn more in an interactive webinar
Further insights will be presented in the upcoming webinar on 13 July where key findings will be shared and discussed in an interactive session.