This recorded event presents the experience of Milan and Barcelona in food policy addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemics. This event has been organised during the 18th European Week of Regions and Cities.

Milan and Barcelona have been partners in finding innovative paths to food security for many years and when COVID-19 struck, forcing people to isolate, they found ways to meet needs during the epidemic. During an emergency, a municipality must take care of its most vulnerable citizens. Regarding food security, two categories were particularly affected: the elderly and sick who could not leave their homes, and people who lost their jobs and were struggling to meet their own and their family’s needs. Both categories were fighting for survival. Milan set up a food crisis team with 150 volunteers and municipality employees, gathering food from companies and retailers, and safely delivering it to 150K people. Barcelona expanded preexisting social services targeting new vulnerable people and groups at risk of contracting COVID-19 and providing information about the operation of home delivery services and coordinating a programme providing basic foods from brands at no cost to the town council.