Food, farming and gastronomy in the Lyon area: a focus on food resilience and justice

With a focus on food resilience and justice, PATLY has 6 key aims:

• building food governance
• encouraging sustainable local farming
• fostering development and cooperation among industry players

• working towards exemplary institutional catering
• fighting against food poverty
• improving local residents’ food habits.

The Lyon metropolitan area food project (in French)

• A dense, well-organized network of community-supported farming associations (AMAP) in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (direct sales, with no intermediaries between farmers and consumers).
• Dedicated sites, incubators and acceleration programs.

Tech and innovation

• The FoodTech Lyon AURA community supports all innovative entrepreneurial initiatives in the region related to food, from field to fork. FoodTech Lyon AURA is a member of the French Tech FoodTech subgroup.
• FoodShaker , the Isara incubator, supports entrepreneurs who wish to set up an innovative company in the food sphere (from field to fork).
• Nutrition Lab, a branch of the Prevent2Care Lab dedicated to nutrition and health, offers a tailored support program for companies that innovate for improved health prevention in the nutrition and food sectors.
• The H7 “sustainable food” program supports companies that are inventing new services and production, distribution and consumption models.
• The Rhône Chamber of Agriculture, the Lyon Metropole Saint-Etienne Roanne Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Lyon-Rhône Chamber for Trade and Crafts also support food and farming professionals.

The Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)

The SSE has many players in the food sector, in particular companies, nonprofits, SCOPs (cooperative and participative companies) or SCICs (cooperative companies of collective interest), which promote the values of healthy and sustainable food. Several SSE incubators and accelerators have also developed food programs.

• The Ronalpia incubator supports entrepreneurs with socially beneficial projects in transforming their idea into a company with a viable business model.
• The VRAC Lyon Métropole nonprofit organization fosters the development of joint purchasing organizations in top-priority neighborhoods specified in the Lyon metropolitan area’s urban policy.
• The Rhône Alpes Auvergne Social and Solidarity Grocers Group (GESRA) supports the development and management of some fifty social and solidarity grocery stores.
• The region’s Local Food Group (GRAP), a cooperative that combines processing and distribution activities in the local organic food industry, provides support services and provides premises for entrepreneurs to develop their business.
• Les Petites Cantines, a non-profit network of neighborhood cafeterias, supports entrepreneurs in setting up a Petite Cantine location in their city or neighborhood.
• Many other non-profit organizations in the Lyon metropolitan area are developing projects in the supply chain, food waste reduction and other topics.

• The Halles de Lyon - Paul Bocuse, a covered market with 56 emblematic shops illustrating the gastronomic excellence of Lyon and France.
• The Lyon-Corbas Wholesale Market, France’s largest private wholesale market for fruits and vegetables, with 35,000 sq. m. of buildings. Over 300,000 tons of products are sold at the market every year, to over 2,000 customers, most of whom are located in the Rhône-Alpes region.
• The Agrapole, a site serving the farming and food sectors in Lyon Gerland, which brings together farming trade associations, an engineering school and an incubator.
• A new project for the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie de Lyon, an arts and culture facility entirely dedicated to gastronomy.

• Sirha Lyon, a world-renowned foodservice and hospitality event. Every 2 years, Lyon hosts Sirha, a Mecca for all foodservice and hospitality professionals. This exhibition is also the stage for the finals of the Bocuse d'Or and Pastry World Cup, two emblematic, world-renowned cooking competitions.
• Sirha Green, an exhibition dedicated to sustainable foodservice. Every 2 years, alternating with Sirha, it targets all types of foodservice and a wide range of products and services to meet new environmental challenges.

• The Lyon Street Food Festival , a 4-day celebration that highlights “Food, Culture, Music & Party”.
• Baguettes Magiques (‘Magic Chopsticks’), a Chinese food festival held in cooperation with the New Franco-Chinese Institute.