Turku’s Food First is taking lessons learnt from the reform of food aid to an international summit in Bhutan

Kuvassa näkyy maisemaa Bhutanista, vuoristoinen kuva, jonka keskeltä näkyy rakennus. (Picture: Taru Reuna)

The City of Turku is presenting a model in Bhutan that combines food aid with digital solutions, service coordination and a sense of community. The aim is to enhance residents’ well-being and learn from international partners.

The City of Turku will take part in the first Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, to be held in Bhutan from 31 August to 4 September 2026. The event will bring together representatives from governments, cities, researchers, organisations and international bodies to discuss how food systems can be developed to be more sustainable, fairer and more conducive to well-being.

The Turku model combines food aid with service guidance

Turku will be represented at the summit by the Food First project, which won an award in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge. The project is revolutionising food aid by combining the logistics of surplus food, digital booking, community meals and personalised service guidance. The aim is to make accessing assistance easier and more dignified, whilst also providing a pathway to other forms of support and services.

Turku was invited to a summit as part of the international Bloomberg Mayors Challenge network. The participating cities are sharing solutions that can address challenges relating to food, food security and well-being in urban environments locally yet effectively. The Bhutan summit is organised by the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Conscious Food Systems Alliance and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together with its partners.

– In the Food First project, food comes first because it is an acute and concrete need. At the same time, it can open the door to trusting dialogue and other services. The Bhutan Summit is an important opportunity for Turku to share our own model internationally, learn from other cities and bring new solutions back to benefit the people of Turku, says project manager Sanna Paloposki.

Kuvassa vasemmalta Food First -hankkeen hankepäällikkö Sanna Paloposki, IT-projektipäällikkö Taru Reuna ja erityisasiantuntija Anna-Mari Sopenlehto-Jokinen.
In the photo, from left: Sanna Paloposki, project manager of the Food First project, IT Project Manager Taru Reuna and Senior Specialist Anna-Mari Sopenlehto-Jokinen.

 

In February 2026, Turku was selected as one of the winners of the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge for its model for reforming food aid. The Food First project received one million dollars in funding for its implementation, as well as separate funding for staff costs. The aim of the project is to reduce food waste, improve access to food aid, strengthen inclusion and support residents’ wellbeing in a more holistic way.

This translation was produced with AI and reviewed by a human.