C40 Food Systems wins the Food Planet Prize 2024, the $2-million environmental award, for making millions of meals in major cities healthier and more sustainable

C40 Food Systems wins the Food Planet Prize, the $2-million environmental award, for shifting millions of meals in major cities to be healthier and more sustainable for people and the planet

The Curt Bergfors Foundation is honored to announce that C40 Food Systems, a global network, was awarded the Food Planet Prize, the world’s biggest environmental award on Friday, 28 June. This recognition highlights their exceptional contributions and strong potential to transform urban food systems to benefit people and the planet.

As urbanization continues to surge, 80% of all food produced globally is expected to be consumed in cities by 2050. Moreover, food is currently the biggest source of consumption-based emissions in major cities (13-20%).

C40’s Food Systems Network works directly with its 50+ member cities from around the world to make it easier for residents to eat food that is good for people, the planet, and prosperity by developing healthy, equitable, and accessible food systems that also reduce food loss and waste.

Through the C40 Good Cities Accelerator, 16 cities worldwide are working to deliver sustainable food policies and achieve a “Planetary Health Diet” for all by 2030, informed by the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health. The cities participating in the Good Food Cities accelerator are Stockholm, London, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Oslo, Copenhagen, New York City, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Lima, Guadalajara, Seoul, Quezon City and Tokyo. These cities collectively serve over 500 million meals. Though every city is shaped by local context, good solutions can be quickly scaled and refined to suit other cities facing similar challenges. 

"Receiving the Food Planet Prize is a tremendous honour for all of us here at C40. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to transforming food systems locally and globally and inspires us to continue our dedicated work towards a healthier and more equitable food future for all C40 cities and beyond," said Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Co-Chair of C40.

“As the Mayor of London, I understand the vital role food systems play in our city. Mayors are pivotal in ensuring schoolchildren receive nutritious meals, all residents have access to healthy and sustainable food, and we actively work to reduce food waste. That's why C40’s recognition with the Food Planet Prize is such a great honor. This award strengthens our resolve to drive a global transformation, ensuring everyone can access good, healthy food," added Mayor Sadiq Khan, Co-Chair of C40.

In awarding the Prize to C40 Food Systems, the Food Planet Prize jury commented:

“Cities, where 70% of all food in the world is consumed today, play a pivotal role in the global transformation to healthy and sustainable food systems. C40, a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities, has a long track-record in climate action and increasingly food systems, and can provide city-led leverage towards positive tipping points that can radically shift the global trajectory towards a sustainable food future.

In particular, the Food Planet Prize jury sees that C40, a locally anchored global force, can work with cities across the world, supporting them in areas of food policy, public procurement and school food programs to reduce food loss and waste, and improve governance. C40 has a unique opportunity to build synergies with other urban sustainability networks on food and provide a city-led global acceleration for our food system.”

Read our feature article about C40 Food Systems work here!