Tartu, often hailed as the intellectual and cultural heart of Estonia, is the second-largest city in the country, boasting a rich history dating back to its medieval origins. In this context, the PHOENIX project addresses the topic of food sustainability, examining the social and environmental impact of food.

The participatory approach employed is the Citizen Assembly on Food Sustainability, constituting a mini-public consisting of 30 randomly selected citizens. The primary objective is to develop Tartu’s food circular economy network and model, providing a concrete, one-time benefit with sustainable prospects. The Tartu Food Assembly functions as a condensed version of a people’s assembly, specifically concentrating on food sustainability.

Its purpose is to assess the collaboratively developed participatory process, raising awareness and collecting proposals on how to promote climate-friendly food choices and reduce food waste. The desired outcome is a sustainability action plan for food within the framework of the circular economy roadmap. The established network will support the city in various food-related and other initiatives.

The final Food Assembly model represents the city’s learning journey in experimenting with various democratic innovations. The mini-assembly on food sustainability is designed to be a focused process with a clear and tangible outcome—an easily understandable action plan.