The France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation on the Sustainable Development of the Food System for the Resilience of Our Territories was established in 2019 through the ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF) and the Fonds franco-québécois pour la coopération décentralisée (FFQCD).
This initiative, led by the DDSA Chair at Université Laval, aims to foster the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in the areas of territorialized food systems and food sovereignty. It seeks to improve understanding of the issues, challenges, and evolving dynamics of territorialized food systems in France and Québec, as well as the actors and initiatives driving them and the public policies supporting them.
An exchange program has been established between the greater Québec City region and Normandy to meet with food system stakeholders in both territories and observe local initiatives.
The partners of the France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation include: the DDSA Chair at Université Laval; the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec (CMQuébec); the Fédération de l’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) de la Capitale-Nationale et de la Côte-Nord ; Le Havre Seine Métropole; Métropole Rouen Normandie; the Fédération des parcs naturels régionaux (FPNR)of France; and the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande. The ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) and the City of Québec are partners in the 2nd edition of the France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation.
1st Edition
During the first edition of the France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation, two virtual webinars, held in the fall of 2021 and winter of 2022, brought together French and Québec partners, researchers, and food system stakeholders from the greater Québec City region and Normandy. These meetings focused on three themes related to food sovereignty:
- Agricultural and food production;
- Resilience of distribution networks — Short and local supply chains; and
- Food solidarity and democracy.
From June 13 to 16, 2022, a Québec delegation travelled to France, visiting Paris and Normandy. Subsequently, from September 19 to 23, 2022, a French delegation was welcomed in the greater Québec City region. These trips allowed partners and food system stakeholders to conduct field visits and discuss food-related issues specific to each territory. They also facilitated the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and best practices implemented in each territory, as well as the identification of various subjects of common interest among the partners and stakeholders involved.
French and Québec partners mobilized to continue and deepen their collective reflection within the framework of a 2nd edition of the France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation.
2nd Edition
The 2nd edition of the France-Québec Decentralized Cooperation aims to promote a deeper sharing of knowledge at the legal and policy levels, while emphasizing the development of concrete tools and projects to support the deployment of sustainable and resilient territorialized food systems. The following focus areas have been defined:
- Protection of agricultural land, land tenure protection measures, and access to agricultural land for farmers;
- Financial and technical support and guidance for agricultural producers toward more sustainable farming;
- Innovative projects for the establishment of new agricultural spaces;
- Food insecurity and reduction of food waste;
- Public infrastructure for business start-ups (processing and marketing of agricultural and agri-food products).
From April 29 to May 3, 2024, the French delegation was once again welcomed in Québec City. During this visit, the delegation attended the international symposium "Agriculture, Biodiversity and Food Security: From Commitments to Action" and met with several stakeholders of the food system in the greater Québec City region in order to deepen the sharing of experiences and best practices around the previously identified focus areas.
