In this special session 'navigating order and messiness in sustainable agri-food transitions: reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly of (urban) food systems' we aim to explore the interlinkages between production and consumption in the urban food system. We will discuss what is good, bad and ugly in our current system, identify potential leverages for ecological, social and welfare improvements, and co-create concrete actions for transformation. Urban food systems are an essential link between (largely rural) food production areas and (largely urban) food consumption. 

Due to the large demands that our urban food system has on production landscapes it is also a major driver of health, biodiversity, energy, nitrogen, landscape and climate crises. Therefore, we cannot solely address the urban part of the system but need to consider the intricate linkages between urban and rural systems. Collaborators will include scientists of multiple disciplines (environmental geography, microbiology, health, history) who are working in a broad range of projects that address the food system in a variety of transdisciplinary approaches. 

Societal partners in these projects will also join this special session. The very nature of these projects and the involvement of societal partners requires embracing the messiness of transformative research and practice. In this session we will present research on multiple aspects of the food system focusing on the intersection between production and consumption. The presentations will be interspersed by interactive workshops to give ample space for discussion and co-creation. In two rounds of presentation and interaction (2 x 90 minutes) we will address the good, the bad and the ugly of food production and food consumption and discuss their intricate linkages.

These rounds will include insights from interdisciplinary research projects alongside co-creative workshops where we re-invent and re-align the production and consumption systems. We will interactively explore linkages between the systems, between the projects and between relevant stakeholders. Finally, we will develop a blueprint for an improved food system that integrates production and consumption system linkages and identifies a set of concrete actions for the stakeholders involved. The session will be open to anyone who sometimes eats something.