A bridge between scientific knowledge, public policy, and active citizenship.
Our Areas of Expertise
Food, Climate, and a Just Transition
Food, climate, and a just transition are at the heart of our work. We start with data and translate it into concrete actions in collaboration with public agencies, businesses, and communities. Whether we’re facilitating dialogue, investigating a phenomenon, or building new skills, we always aim for measurable results that make a real difference on the ground.
Here’s how we put this approach into action.
Consultancy
We have been working alongside public administrations for over ten years to develop urban food policies.
Discover the service
Facilitation
We help territories and organisations find their own path towards sustainable change, activating all available human resources.
Discover the serviceThe latest news
Athens, Green Living Areas: From experimentation to territorial policies
EStà participated in Athens in the 3rd meeting of the Green Living Areas community under the Interreg Euro-MED program, an opportunity for European projects focused on urban sustainability to exchange ideas. The event marked the transition from a pilot phase to one more focused on integrating solutions into local policies, with an emphasis on transferability, governance, and long-term impact.
Read more
Food Insecurity in the Mediterranean: Toward Integrated Policy Proposals
Workshop in Palermo on food poverty in the Mediterranean: EStà promotes a participatory and systemic approach, combining research with local dialogue to develop shared and sustainable policies.
Read more
Dakar: The Future of School Canteens as a Catalyst for Urban Transformation
In Dakar, school cafeterias are being tested as a strategic tool for improving nutrition, equity, and urban development, in a context where they are still only marginally widespread. The pilot project, based on a participatory approach (Living Lab), involves communities and institutions in co-designing sustainable models. School cafeterias thus emerge as key infrastructure for food policies, capable of generating social, economic, and territorial impacts.
Read moreThe method
We combine analysis, engagement, and strategy
Our approach integrates three operational dimensions:
Research
to analyze contexts in depth and based on reliable data.
Participatory processes
to develop solutions by engaging stakeholders and local communities.
Strategic Planning
to turn insights into actionable steps.
We don’t rely on cookie-cutter solutions: every project is tailor-made, developed in close collaboration with our clients. We provide robust tools to help you understand the situation, make informed decisions, and drive change.
Learn more about our methodOur publications
Three different models of food poverty intervention: Italy, France, Germany
This is the second report produced through the collaboration between the Heinrich Böll Foundation Paris and EStà. The report aims to examine how different policy models address food poverty in three European countries, each interpreting and implementing the common European framework in distinct ways. By synthesizing a complex topic, it demonstrates how centralized, hybrid, and community-based systems each have specific strengths and limitations, reflecting contextual priorities, institutional histories, and governance structures.
Read more
Water and food systems
Water plays a vital role in urban environments, shaping how cities function and influencing public health, economic development, and social equity. This report represents a first step toward fostering dialogue among cities on the critical link between water and food systems.
Read more
Wholesale markets: public spaces for interconnected food policies
This report aims to illustrate how wholesale markets can play a key role in transforming the urban food system and how they are intertwined with other areas of food policy, as demonstrated by the various actions recommended by the MUFPP.
Read moreOur projects
Toolkit for People
A civic technology toolkit designed to improve the socio-economic and environmental impacts of waste management through participatory approaches. Tested in Elinkine with ACRA; replicable and modular.
Discover the project
GARDEN
The project aims to decarbonise last-mile food logistics in five EU countries through pilot trials in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria to demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable food logistics. These pilot projects will utilise renewable energy sources such as solar power and biofuels to create carbon-neutral logistics solutions. Coordinated by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb, GARDEN addresses the pressing environmental challenges posed by traditional food logistics systems. The comprehensive approach combines innovative technologies, strategic planning and community engagement to create greener and healthier urban environments.
Discover the project
NetZeroCities – The food system of the city of Padua
Urban food policy: a key component of the city of Padua’s strategy to reduce climate-changing emissions
Discover the projectAbout Us
We are working to make sustainability a strategic solution
We are an independent organization dedicated to research, training, and consulting.
We work with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, local communities, and regional networks to address complex issues using accessible, reliable, and action-oriented tools.
We develop methods and approaches that help us better understand the world, build effective partnerships, and devise practical solutions. Our work stems from the convergence of various disciplines and takes the form of projects, analyses, strategies, and training initiatives that make a real difference on the ground.
We believe in knowledge that is practical, shared, and capable of bringing about real change toward a just ecological transition.
Partner
We collaborate with local governments, foundations, universities, research centers, labor unions, and public and private companies.
-
Comune di Bergamo -
Fondazione ACRA -
FAO -
Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo -
Fondazione Cariplo -
Agropolis Fondation -
MUFPP - Milan Urban Food Policy Pact -
Terra! -
Fondazione Heinrich Böll -
Atlante del cibo di Torino -
Dear EU Program -
Legambiente Lombardia -
Italian Climate Network -
Masaf - Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste -
Comune di Milano -
Net Zero Cities -
CREA -
Hivos -
Rikolto -
ICLEI Africa -
Politecnico di Milano -
PNRR
