More than half of today’s world population lives in cities. In Antwerp alone half a million mouths need to be fed every day. It is farmers who provide the produce, meat, dairy and other ingredients we use to cook. But in the current system, the city and the countryside, the consumer and the producer – both locally and internationally – live detached from each other. Meanwhile, the city needs agriculture for healthy food because at the same time, we are flooded with unhealthy and ultra-processed “food” that earns the industry billions. 

In addition there’s another challenge: who can become a farmer?  Agricultural land is becoming unaffordable and renting land is becoming increasingly difficult. Farmers often cannot find successors to take over their farms.

How do we reconnect inhabitants of cities and farmers? How do we ensure sustainable and healthy food for everyone? Will there still be enough farmers in the future?

In the fifth edition of Leefbare Stad, we search for ecologically responsible and socially just answers to these questions, together with De Landgenoten, Loof & Bezen, Oikos and Back2SoilBasics.

The evening starts with an introduction by Dirk Holemans, who recently wrote the book Grondgenoten: Een voedselrevolutie van Boeren en Burgers (EPO, 2025): a plea for a fair and resilient agricultural system.

During a sofa talk, Fairouz Gazdallah (Back2SoilBasics), Petra Tas (De Landgenoten), Dirk Holemans (Oikos) and Ona Meirlaen (Loof en Bezen) share the stage with Loubna Ou-Salah as the moderator.

Accompanied by their expertise in sustainable agriculture, short supply chains and intersectional food justice, the speakers will reflect on the pitfalls of healthy food in the urban context, the obstacles that new (organic) farmers face, possible solutions and what this means for marginalised communities.

With the Liveable City series, Spreken is Goud explores what is happening in the city and how we can work towards a sustainable future for everyone, including in the areas of housing, mobility and inclusive public space. Sustainability is not only about caring for the environment, but also about respecting the rights of every human being: social justice is a necessary condition for the climate transition