SUSTAINABILITY #10 IMS LUXEMBOURG MAG - Sustainable Food Practices
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SUSTAINABILITY #10
IMS LUXEMBOURG MAG
VERS UNE SOCIÉTÉ
DU « CARE » ?
L'alimentation d'après
Le système alimentaire mondial est en panne. Et après notre façon XXL
de cultiver et de consommer, quelles solutions pour demain ?
The world food system is broken. And after our XXL way of cultivating
and consuming, what solutions for tomorrow?
Du washing à la douche froide La Prophétie
La communication corporate Un conte en images imaginé
en eaux troubles par Fabrice Monteiro
Corporate Communication A Pictorial Tale Imagined
in Murky Waters by Fabrice Monteiro
Au cœur de Molenbeek Drones
Une toute autre histoire La résilience venue du ciel ?
A Whole Different Story Resilience from the Sky?
photo : Sophie Margue
TRIBUNE
Rachel Reckinger
Some Reflections on the
Resilience of Luxembourg's
Food System
Réflexions sur la résilience
du système alimentaire
luxembourgeois
By Dr. Rachel Reckinger, Anthropologist and
Food Sociologist at the University of Luxembourg,
PI of the research project Sustainable Food Practices
Par Dr Rachel Reckinger, anthropologue
et sociologue de l'alimentation à l'Université
du Luxembourg, responsable du projet de
recherche Sustainable Food Practices
Moments of crisis like the current one sparked by Covid-19 and watering infrastructure. Agroforestry (combined
engage social, economic, cultural and political institutions crops between trees, pasture and domesticated animals)
of a society, and stress-test their resilience. In such times is still rare in the territory. In terms of food self-
of upheaval, individual and collective food supplies supply ratio, Luxembourg produces 114% of its beef
become primary concerns. How resilient is Luxembourg’s needs, 99% of milk, 67% of pork, but only 35% of eggs,
food system when international supply chains are 3-5% of vegetables, 1,4% of chicken and less than 1% of
disrupted? Which vulnerabilities transpire, even in the fruits. As for processed foods, the vast majority of goods
wealthiest of Western European food-secure countries? are imported. Though this is changing, the processing
The rapidity with which borders closed, even inside system today falls short of national demand.
the Schengen space, draws focus to national performances
and the question of food sovereignty. As a small country, Luxembourg would be suitable for
shorter supply chains and could adapt to changing
Food sovereignty is characterised by the largest possible circumstances, but only if the food supply is steady and
diversity of locally produced food, and by the highest diverse. On the one hand, small producers experience
degree of autonomy possible from international imports fluctuation and cannot consistently guarantee supply to
and transportation through local options, in a context of corporate clients. But cooperative-run platforms or food
food democracy ensuring equity and participation. hubs grouping a number of small producers could function
as a one-stop-shop for wholesalers. On the other hand,
Luxembourg is predominantly a grassland region, lending larger companies in Luxembourg already offer commercial
itself to cattle grazing – only ruminants can make grass partnerships to national producers who agree to invest in
‘edible’ to humans – even though a remarkable diversity missing products or production lines, but these initiatives
and density of vegetable production is possible on would benefit from a market stretching across the
comparably small surfaces, but requires higher workforce Greater Region and beyond – going beyond nationalistic
66 SUSTAINABILITY #10
CC BY-ND Caroline Schuler, 04.2020
and protectionist understandings of regionality. Current
research shows that apart from fish, chicken and tomatoes,
all product categories are already being produced in sufficient
quantity in the Greater Region to surpass the Greater Region’s
out-of-home-catering sector’s needs. Yet, only a minority of
these products are currently served locally – indicating that food
sovereignty is mostly a logistic and political issue of supply chain "Food sovereignty is mostly
management, market orientation, price policies and national
legislative regulations. a logistic and political issue
Experts also point to the need for an agricultural model based
of supply chain management,
on diversified agroecological systems, reducing external input, market orientation,
optimising biodiversity and stimulating interactions between
different species as part of holistic strategies to build long-term price policies and national
fertility and secure livelihoods. Yet, Luxembourg lacks the labour
capacity for such a transition to more resilient systems, where legislative regulations"
knowledge-pooling is key. If there were more market incentives
and political warranties for farmers, such undertakings would
be less risky.
As high-quality, ethical and sustainable local food is made available
and becomes the norm, consumers will develop more sensitivity
for local contingencies, ethical and high-quality, organic food,
Grand format 67
seasonality, etc. State-run labels that certify various
types of quality enhance food literacy and more sustainable "Luxembourg can provide
purchases within private households or procurement
behaviour among public buyers, only if they are transparent a favourable site for experimentation
about added value and backed by laws that make such
criteria mandatory. Thus, stringent and encompassing with sustainable innovations at local
governmental action of democratic and accountable
governments could act as a lever in transitions to more or transregional levels and build
resilient and sustainable food systems. Such conditions
are then ideal for a deliberate shift towards effective multi-
a multi-stakeholder-lead effective
level governance of food systems. Social movements, food policy"
entrepreneurs and civil society can innovate and bloom.
As success grows, emerging local food initiatives can move
in from the margins and engage with formal legislative
processes at national and EU level. A Common Food Policy
could prioritise ethical and sustainable experimentation vulnérabilités qui se manifestent, même dans les pays les
through complementary actions and coherent food plus riches d'Europe de l'Ouest, dont la sécurité alimentaire
policies at EU, national, and local levels. Food Policy est assurée ? La rapidité avec laquelle les frontières ont été
Councils are recognised innovative and efficient tools fermées, même à l'intérieur de l'espace Schengen, attire
for multi-scale food policy and governance. l'attention sur les performances nationales et la question
de la souveraineté alimentaire.
To meet these challenges, Luxembourg is currently
founding the first Food Policy Council on a national La souveraineté alimentaire se caractérise par la plus
level, as a multi-stakeholder platform for independent grande diversité possible d'aliments produits localement,
cooperation among equal partners from the three sectors et par le plus haut degré d'autonomie vis-à-vis des
of Luxembourg’s food system: policy and administration; importations et du transport en provenance de l'étranger,
research and civil society; production, transformation, dans un contexte de démocratie alimentaire assurant
gastronomy and trade. This initiative aims to serve équité et participation.
a system that is socially just, ecologically regenerative,
economically localised and engaging a wide range Le Luxembourg est essentiellement une région de prés
of actors. It seeks to ensure high-quality, ethical and qui se prête au pâturage du bétail – seuls les ruminants
sustainable food security for its entire population by peuvent rendre l'herbe "comestible" pour l'homme –,
shortening supply chains in a (trans)regionalised and même si une diversité et une densité remarquables de
cooperative way. productions végétales sont aussi possibles sur des surfaces
Food sovereignty is thus increasingly based on local comparativement limitées, nécessitant cependant une
diversification, innovation, and collective learning main-d'œuvre plus importante et des infrastructures
processes. Because of its small size and its unique d’arrosage. L'agroforesterie (cultures combinées entre
multi-cultural population, Luxembourg can provide arbres, pâturages et animaux domestiqués) est encore
a favourable site for experimentation with sustainable rare sur le territoire. En termes de ratio d'auto-suffisance
innovations at local or transregional levels and build alimentaire, le Luxembourg produit 114 % de ses besoins
a multi-stakeholder-lead effective food policy. It then en viande bovine, 99 % des besoins en lait, 67 % des besoins
can use its political and economic international weight en viande porcine, mais seulement 35 % des besoins en
to push best practices forward. < œufs, 3-5 % pour les légumes, 1,4 % pour les poulets et
moins de 1 % pour les fruits. Concernant les aliments
For more details, check out https://food.uni.lu transformés, la grande majorité des marchandises est importée.
Bien que la situation évolue, le système de la transformation
ne couvre aujourd’hui pas la demande nationale.
Les moments de crise, comme celui déclenché par la
pandémie de la Covid-19, engagent les institutions En tant que petit pays, le Luxembourg serait en mesure
sociales, économiques, culturelles et politiques d'une de mettre en place des chaînes d'approvisionnement plus
société, et mettent à l'épreuve leur résilience. En ces courtes et pourrait s'adapter à des circonstances changeantes,
temps de turbulences, l'approvisionnement alimentaire mais uniquement à condition que l'approvisionnement
individuel et collectif devient une préoccupation majeure. alimentaire soit stable et diversifié.
Quelle est la résilience du système alimentaire
luxembourgeois lorsque les chaînes d'approvisionnement
internationales sont perturbées ? Quelles sont les Suite de la traduction page 161
68 SUSTAINABILITY #10
decompartmentalise and collaboratively common points: they create social ties and When citizens were invited to participate
develop economic sectors that have diversify production sources and exchanges. in the process, their demands were clear:
until now been organised according to a quality food, optimal use of resources and
Did you know? It is estimated that 15 to
logic of vertical silos. At the national and sustainable agriculture. More recently,
20% of the world's food production is
transregional levels, the idea is to implement in June 2020, the Minister of Agriculture,
currently grown in cities and communities.
a holistic, federative and solidarity-based Viticulture and Rural Development, Romain
(Strategic Study "Third Industrial
strategy to achieve food sovereignty and Schneider, presented a stimulus package
Revolution Lëtzebuerg", 2016)
promote contiguous consumption. We are for agriculture with an overall budget of 5
talking here about producing, processing, Less packaging, fewer emissions, less million euros. During his announcement, the
distributing, consuming and recycling food food waste, more transparency, more Minister then recalled that "the pandemic
on the basis of a saving interdependence trust. Economic players are increasingly will have had a positive effect: that of
for Man and the planet. In short, a resilient mobilising around these issues. And the raising awareness of the work of farmers
food system for tomorrow. Luxembourg landscape is beginning to in the food chain, of the true qualitative
draw new synergies for models combining value of their products, and of the dangers
Experts see us coming: it is the local positive socio-ecological impacts and of over-dependence on food from abroad".
distribution network concept. And to economic dynamism. This is the case, It is with this awareness that the stimulus
promote this way of consuming, many for example, of the Pall Center and LuxAir, package is particularly committed to the
initiatives are germinating and growing which promote partnerships with local diversification of quality local agricultural
in Luxembourg. suppliers, or Sources Rosport, which products distributed within short circuits.
Young and old can, for example, become chooses not to export its products and
selects its suppliers of raw materials based With regard to future prospects for the
producer-consumers or "prosumers".That
on their proximity to the production site. territory, Luxembourg also seems to be
is to say, to get involved in a community
betting on innovation, since it is the first
garden that they will find near their home On the political side, the Luxembourg to set up a Food Council at the national
thanks to the portal of the vegetable Government is also in favour of a more level and an Urban Farming strategy
gardens in Luxembourg Eise Gaart or to locavore diet. It is, therefore, taking several
aimed at making Luxembourg's towns and
create their own plantation at home. And steps to make progress in this direction.
cities real food contributors. These are
why not also deepen their knowledge of To cite a few of them retrospectively, there
all promising initiatives to respond to a
permaculture at school or in training? For is first of all the strategic study of the third
growing need to reconnect with the land
those who don't have a green thumb, don't industrial revolution (TIR) carried out in
that feeds us and to shorten the links - and
worry. It is possible to become a member 2016 and including a section dedicated to
the kilometres - that exist from the barn to
of a cooperative such as AlterCoop or to the future of food for the Grand Duchy with
the table.
promote the purchase of local products various ambitious strategic measures. Two
thanks to the Solawi solidarity agriculture years later, in January 2018, the country Did you know? Luxembourg has set itself
network or the Supermiro platform. proceeded to overhaul the territorial a production target of 20% of its food
In addition to reducing food kilometers of development programme (PDAT). needs by 2030. (Stratégie Nationale Urban
products, all these initiatives share other Farming Luxembourg, 2019). <
Tribune Rachel Reckinger
Réflexions sur la résilience du système alimentaire
luxembourgeois
Suite de la traduction page 68
D’un côté, les petits producteurs de petits exploitants agricoles pourraient initiatives bénéficieraient d'un marché
connaissent des fluctuations et ne fonctionner comme un guichet unique pour étendu à toute la Grande Région et au-delà
peuvent garantir de manière constante les grossistes. De l’autre côté, de grandes – dépassant les conceptions nationalistes
l'approvisionnement des entreprises entreprises luxembourgeoises proposent et protectionnistes de la régionalité.
clientes. Pour contourner cet obstacle, déjà des partenariats commerciaux aux Des recherches actuelles montrent en
des plateformes gérées par des producteurs du territoire qui acceptent effet qu'à part le poisson, le poulet et les
coopératives ou des centres alimentaires d'investir dans les produits ou les lignes tomates, toutes les catégories d'aliments
(food hubs) regroupant un certain nombre de production manquantes, mais ces sont déjà produites en quantité suffisante
161
en Grande Région pour dépasser les Les labels publics qui certifient différents le premier Food Policy Council au
besoins du secteur de la restauration types de qualité renforcent des achats niveau national, en tant que plateforme
de la Grande Région. Pourtant, seule plus durables et plus généralement la multipartite pour une coopération
une minorité de ces produits sont connaissance des aliments tant au sein indépendante entre des partenaires
actuellement servis localement – ce qui des ménages que parmi les acheteurs égaux issus des trois secteurs du système
indique que la souveraineté alimentaire publics uniquement s'ils sont transparents alimentaire luxembourgeois : politique
est principalement une question logistique quant à la valeur ajoutée du produit et et administration ; recherche et société
et politique de gestion de la chaîne soutenus par des lois qui rendent ces civile ; production, transformation,
d'approvisionnement, d'orientation critères obligatoires. Ainsi, une action gastronomie et commerce. Cette initiative
du marché, de fixation de prix et de rigoureuse et globale de gouvernements s’inscrit dans un système alimentaire
réglementations législatives nationales. démocratiques et responsables pourrait qui aurait comme but d’être socialement
Les experts soulignent aussi la nécessité servir de levier dans la transition vers juste, écologiquement régénérateur,
d'un modèle agricole basé sur des systèmes un système alimentaire plus résilient. économiquement localisé et engageant
agroécologiques diversifiés, réduisant les De telles conditions constituent la base un large éventail d'acteurs. Il vise à assurer
intrants externes, optimisant la biodiversité idéale pour une transition délibérée vers une sécurité alimentaire de qualité,
et stimulant les interactions entre les une gouvernance efficace des systèmes éthique et durable pour l'ensemble de la
différentes espèces dans le cadre de alimentaires à plusieurs niveaux où les population, en raccourcissant les chaînes
stratégies holistiques visant à établir une mouvements sociaux, les entrepreneurs d'approvisionnement de manière (trans)
fertilité à long terme et des moyens de et la société civile peuvent innover régionalisée et coopérative.
subsistance sûrs. Or, le Luxembourg ne et s'épanouir. Au fur et à mesure, les
dispose pas d’une force de travail en assez nouvelles initiatives locales en matière La souveraineté alimentaire repose ainsi
grand nombre pour une telle transition vers d'alimentation pourront ainsi sortir de de plus en plus sur la diversification
des systèmes plus résistants, où la mise en la marginalité et s'engager dans des locale, l'innovation et les processus
commun des connaissances est essentielle. processus législatifs formels nationaux d'apprentissage collectif. En raison
S'il y avait davantage d'incitations du et européens. Une Politique Alimentaire de sa petite taille et de sa population
marché et de garanties politiques pour Commune pourrait donner la priorité aux multiculturelle unique, le Luxembourg peut
les agriculteurs, ce choix d’orientation expérimentations éthiques et durables à offrir un site favorable à l'expérimentation
professionnelle représenterait moins travers des actions complémentaires et d'innovations durables au niveau local
de risques. des politiques alimentaires cohérentes ou transrégional et mettre en place une
aux niveaux européen, national et local. politique alimentaire efficace dirigée
À mesure que des aliments locaux de
Les Conseils de Politique Alimentaire (Food par plusieurs parties prenantes. Le pays
qualité, éthiques et durables seront
Policy Councils) sont des outils innovants pourra ensuite utiliser son poids politique
disponibles et deviendront la norme, les
reconnus pour favoriser une politique et et économique international pour faire
consommateurs seront plus sensibles aux
contingences locales, aux produits éthiques
une gouvernance à plusieurs niveaux. circuler ses bonnes pratiques. <
et de qualité, à la consommation d'aliments Afin de relever ces défis, le Luxembourg Pour plus de détails, voir https://food.uni.lu
biologiques, à la saisonnalité, etc. est actuellement en train de fonder
Damaged Soil
Regenerative Agriculture to the Rescue
Translated from page 70
Regenerative agriculture, what exactly is adaptation to climate change. Discreetly, that is only in the first metre of soil depth!
it about? they sequester an astronomical amount Unfortunately, current practices based on
First and foremost, regenerative of CO2, preventing it from escaping into linear land use management, deforestation,
agriculture is the preservation or our atmosphere. These are little-known compaction and pressure on resources are
revitalisation of soil fertility. And this facts, but soils are home to a quarter of the leading to erosion and critical depletion
is very necessary because rich soils world's biological diversity and sequester of nutrients in the land. The same is true
are essential to grow healthy food and more CO2 than the earth's vegetation and for extensive cultivation, eradication of
prevent droughts or floods. Above all, atmosphere combined. 1,417 petatons, or organic matter, intensive irrigation with
soils are a key ally in the reduction and 1,417,1015 tonnes, according to FAO. And poor quality water and overuse of inputs,
162 SUSTAINABILITY #10
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