TerrAsol
Launched in late 2024, with 19 partners, the project aims to demonstrate the value of a new governance model for food transitions, based on the concepts of food solidarity and food democracy within the Montpellier food-producing region.
It seeks to develop three types of solidarity that interact to promote a sustainable regional food system:
- civic solidarity, to ensure access for all to a choice of high-quality food through more sustainable and inclusive schemes (notably the pilot scheme for a communal food bank, in which the Chair is involved in the evaluation work);
- solidarity between the consumer base represented by the city and its food-producing regions, to work together to develop agricultural production methods and food supply chains that are fair and negotiated in terms of their relationship with the environment and their impact on health;
- solidarity amongst stakeholders in the food system through governance arrangements involving residents, policymakers, civil society, businesses and the research community.
ROLE OF THE CHAIR
The Chair was involved in several initiatives that predated the project: the agroecological and food policy of the Montpellier Metropolis and City; the Territoires à Vivres project and various local food democracy initiatives; and research projects addressing food solidarity issues (such as Solaci, Foodscapes, and Obsoalim 34).
The Chair co-coordinated the project’s 18-month development phase, working alongside all partners to shape the initiative. In July 2025, TerrAsol entered its implementation phase, led by the Fédération Régionale des CIVAM d’Occitanie (FR CIVAM) and co-coordinated with the UNESCO Chair on World Food Systems. FR CIVAM is primarily responsible for the project’s financial, administrative, and operational management, while the Chair contributes to operational monitoring, evaluation, and the dissemination of the actions undertaken.