The topic of food cooperation at the Brno Metropolitan Area level has not yet been firmly established or systematically addressed. Various activities aimed at promoting local food have already been underway in the region, but these have not involved the city of Brno, which is the center of the metropolitan area, to any great extent. The metropolitan level is therefore ideal for cooperation in the areas of food production, distribution, and consumption. This is mainly due to the presence of a large number of actors interested in the origin and quality of food, as well as the existence of a large number of local producers in connection with the city of Brno as a center of consumption.
The European and national trend is one of increasing consumer interest in healthy and local food, with demand and consumption of local and organic food growing by several percent each year. The inspiration for addressing the issue of food cooperation came mainly from the Food Districts operating in the Metropolitan City of Turin. These were studied as part of the MECOG-CE project, which has brought the topic of food cooperation in the BMA to the metropolitan level.
It appears that addressing the issue of supporting local production, distribution, and consumption brings many benefits that have a positive impact on the region. The main purposes of food cooperation in the BMA include:
To take advantage of these benefits, multifaceted cooperation is needed between the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region, and other institutions involved in this issue (local action groups, non-profit organizations, farmers). There are many such actors in the BMA who want to participate in this topic. Brno, as a center of consumption, can provide the necessary sales and logistics base, while the South Moravian Region strategically supports rural areas. The goal is therefore to connect urban and rural interests.
The Brno Metropolitan Area is the best platform for this cooperation because it connects the city center with the surrounding municipalities and enables coordinated cooperation on a given topic.
To gain insight into the issue at the metropolitan level, an Analysis of food cooperation in the Brno Metropolitan Area (only in Czech) was first conducted to identify the potential and possibilities for developing this topic. It focused on identifying production, agricultural entities, and other key players in the area. The results of the analysis provide a basis for formulating specific steps to improve cooperation in the production, distribution, and consumption of food in the region.
Based on the results, all stakeholders in the region agreed at a joint meeting that coordination and information sharing on this topic is important, as it would support cooperation between Brno, the South Moravian Region, local action groups, surrounding municipalities, and other partners. The primary activity is therefore joint cooperation and its coordination as such. The meeting also focused on prioritizing topics for the future. The three prioritized topics are:
Since the beginning of 2025, two working groups have been operating under the leadership of the City of Brno. The first focuses on the primary activity, i.e., coordinating food cooperation and information exchange between stakeholders. This group includes stakeholders from the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region, local action groups, non-profit organizations, and farmers. The task of the working group is to coordinate activities in the area of food cooperation, as well as to raise awareness and develop the topic among the general and professional public. For example, the working group prepares awareness-raising activities to promote the use of local production.
The second working group focuses on the use of local food in public catering and consists of representatives of the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region, the Regional Hygiene Station, the National Institute of Public Health, and local action groups. The task of the working group is to strive for greater use of local production in public catering, with an emphasis on school catering. To determine the current situation, a questionnaire survey targeting school canteen managers was created and distributed. The results showed that local produce was used in about a third of cases, but the weak point is the low level of information about its use – only about a tenth of respondents actively provide information about it. Therefore, systematic work will be carried out with school canteen managers in the public catering sector to help them use local products more frequently in school kitchens. The first meeting with the leaders has already taken place, with the aim of discussing possible future activities together.
Map application “Farmers from the region”
The first public output of the food cooperation is the Farmers from the Region map application (only in Czech), which is a tool for anyone who wants to shop for high-quality, local, and responsible products. The interactive map allows users to filter farmers by type of production (fruit, meat, jams, wine, etc.) and by distribution (e-shop, delivery, farm sales, etc.). It is also possible to search specifically for organic production. The map also offers information on agritourism and accommodation options at farms. Each farmer’s card also contains contact information, including a link to their website.
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