Research
We translate analysis into tools for action.
A rigorous, accessible and highly practical approach. To produce knowledge that can be used to change reality.
“We don’t just study phenomena.
We analyse them in depth together with decision-makers to pave the way for better choices.”
The method
Lively, non-academic research
Transdisciplinarity
Our analyses are the result of discussions between experts from different disciplines, going beyond the sum of their parts.
Focus on decision-makers
We design tools that speak to decision-makers, avoiding technical jargon for its own sake.
Clear and visual communication
We use infographics, narrative summaries and illustrated reports to convey complexity in an immediate way.
Gap analysis
A key tool for bridging the gap between existing policies and desired scenarios.
Related articles
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PostThe impact assessment of the GARDEN – Interreg project is now underway
EStà was in Montpellier from November 5 to 7 on for the 5th Steering Commitee of the Interreg Euro-MED GARDEN project, which aims to decarbonize logistics for food supply and the management of bio-waste, packaging, and used containers in Mediterranean cities.
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PostEnrollment open for Hybrid Master’s in Local Food Policy.
Learn how to create impactful policies that foster sustainability—apply now and study with us!
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PostEStà as panelist on Collaborative Governance, in Brussels
AfriFOODlinks Brussels, October 2025 The project Strengthening sustainable urban food systems through close collaboration between Africa and Europe During the AU–EU Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) week, the CEA-FIRST and AfriFOODlinks projects co-organized a one-day event in Brussels dedicated to exploring how cooperation between the African Union and the European Union can strengthen evidence-based public policies. … <a title="EStà as panelist on Collaborative Governance, in Brussels" class="read-more" href="https://assesta.it/en/esta-as-panelist-on-collaborative-governance-in-brussels/" aria-label="Read more about EStà as panelist on Collaborative Governance, in Brussels">Read more</a>
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PostKnowledge exchange with top-level experts
ESrà partcipa al knowledge exchange presso City St George University, London. Al centro la questione del "missing middle", ovvero la mancanza di un livello intermedio di governance dei sistemi alimentari tra il nazionale e il locale.
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The tools
What we offer
Interdisciplinary analyses
for public and private entities
Gap analysis
of policies and strategies
Co-designed research
with local actors
Reports, infographics and tools
for customised feedback
Training and support
for decision-makers
Fields of application
Environmental and social policies
Food systems and green economy
Local governance and ecological transition
Socio-economic impact of climate phenomena
Related publications
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PublicationWholesale 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.
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PublicationThree 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.
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PublicationWater 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.
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PublicationClimate, Poverty and Policies: food systems in France, Germany and Italy
Il rapporto offre una lettura trasversale delle interconnessioni tra i vari elementi che compongono il sistema alimentare, delle similitudini e delle differenze tra i sistemi alimentari di Italia, Francia e Germania e delle evidenze più rilevanti che distinguono i tre territori, focalizzandosi sulle aree urbane e periurbane.
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Related projects
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Project
Heinrich Böll Foundation – Food Systems and Poverty: A Comparative Analysis of Italy, France, and Germany
The collaboration between EStà and the Heinrich Böll Foundation stems from the need to produce rigorous analyses on issues crucial to sustainability and social equity at the European level. The reports aim to fill a knowledge gap regarding European models, providing policymakers and stakeholders with the assessment tools necessary to address the challenges of food security, ecological sustainability, and social justice. EStà contributes to the partnership with its recognized technical expertise in the analysis of urban food systems and food policies. This expertise is essential for developing research that is not merely descriptive but provides concrete data and benchmarks useful for informing public policy and guiding the transition toward more equitable and resilient food systems at the local and international levels.
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ProjectSustainable livestock farming and food systems
The project aims to generate scientific evidence and launch advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about the sustainability of food systems in Lombardy, by addressing both the demand side (with regard to university cafeterias) and the supply side, particularly in relation to milk and meat production.
Discover the project
Other EStà services
How Food Governance Is Changing in Italy: Regions, Stakeholders, and Policies
EStà’s new article on governance practices in the transformation of Italian food systems has been published in Frontiers. The mapping conducted by EStà and CIHEAM Bari highlights the role of medium-sized cities and territorial coalitions, the leading role of municipalities and the third sector, and the gradual institutionalization of food policies.
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EStà’s Participation in the Master’s Program in Local Food Policies
EStà guided an international class in exploring the challenges of contemporary food systems. Through stakeholder engagement tools, participatory processes, Living Labs, and the Theory of Change, Andrea Calori, Bianca Minotti, and Francesca La Rocca proposed a practical and critical approach to food policy, grounded in the integration of research and action, the strengthening of relationships among local stakeholders, and learning derived not only from successes but also from failures and lessons learned in the field.
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Edgar Morin, a pillar of the philosophy of EStà
In memoria di Edgar Morin, il cui pensiero ha influenzato EStà e la nostra scelta di affrontare la sostenibilità come una questione insieme ambientale, sociale, economica e culturale.
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URBAGRI Project: a European MOOC on urban agriculture
Il progetto URBAGRI+ nasce per rispondere a precise differenze territoriali. L'agricoltura urbana presenta caratteristiche specifiche a seconda delle regioni d'Europa, in base alle condizioni climatiche, ai quadri normativi nazionali e ai diversi contesti socio-economici.
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Innovating Urban Food Logistics
EStà hosted an event on new approaches to urban food logistics at Cascina Cuccagna!
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For CREA and MASAF, EStà facilitates “Connessioni in campo”
EStà supported CREA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) in designing and running the participatory activities of the Puglia Mini Camp, one of the main field-based action-research initiatives promoted as part of the Accademia Rete PAC – Connessioni Rurali programme. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with partner regions and universities, involved 45 university students from across Italy in an experiential learning programme dedicated to agroecology and agricultural innovation.
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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.
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Living Lab on Food Insecurity: Toward Integrated Policy Proposals
Workshop in Palermo on food poverty: EStà promotes a participatory and systemic approach, combining research with local dialogue to develop shared and sustainable policies.
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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.
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Berlin: EStà brings the issue of food poverty to the 2026 Agricultural Transition Festival
Està interviene sul tema della povertà alimentare in occasione del festival della svolta agricola, a Berlino, grazie al supporto fi Fondazione Heinrich Boell.
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New report on food poverty for the Heinrich Böll Foundation
Food System Governance How do high-income countries tackle food poverty? The report compares three divergent institutional models (Italy, France, Germany) and assesses the transition from emergency aid to the universal right to food, in line with the integration of the FEAD (European Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived) into the ESF+ (European Social Fund … <a title="New report on food poverty for the Heinrich Böll Foundation" class="read-more" href="https://assesta.it/en/new-report-on-food-poverty-for-the-heinrich-boll-foundation/" aria-label="Read more about New report on food poverty for the Heinrich Böll Foundation">Read more</a>
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Move on: end-of-project event
EStà ha partecipato all'evento di chiusura del progetto "MoveON" promosso dalla Provincia di Varese e finanziato da Fondazione Cariplo e Regione Lombardia.
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