Citizens' assembly on food policy in Poland
In May and June 2024, a Citizens' Assembly on Food Policy took place in Poland. Participants discussed how to improve access to and consumption of healthy, nutritious and environmentally friendly food in Poland.
The Citizens' Assembly was part of the European REAL DEAL project, which aims to strengthen citizen participation in the debate on the European Green Deal, climate action and the green transition. As part of the project, a team of scientists and implementers in 13 European countries are testing various methods of participation and deliberation, including citizens' assemblies.
Participants randomly selected
The Citizens' Assembly consisted of 60 randomly selected people who were selected for the assembly according to criteria such as gender, age, education and place of residence. The participants did not need to have any specialised knowledge of the topic, as the necessary knowledge was imparted by experts during the assembly meetings. All participants received an expense allowance.
The first meeting of the Citizens' Assembly took place on 18/19 May 2024. The second meeting followed on 15/16 June 2024. The participants' deliberations resulted in a citizens' report with recommendations on food policy by the end of June 2024.
Organisation from civil society
The Citizens' Assembly was organised by the Fundacja Pole Dialogu (Field of Dialogue Foundation) in cooperation with the Instytut na Rzecz Ekorozwoju (Institute for Sustainable Development) and the REAL DEAL consortium. The project was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
The mini-public had no formal connection to the Polish government or parliament, but the organisers will submit the recommendations to various Polish ministries, parliament, the media and non-governmental organisations.
Fifth national citizens' assembly on food policy
The Citizens' Assembly on Food Policy in Poland is the fifth citizens' assembly on food and nutrition to be organised at national level. Citizens' assemblies on this topic had previously been held in Germany, Sweden, Serbia and Switzerland. At EU level, a Citizens' Panel on Food Waste was held in 2023.