AESOP’s Thematic Groups – Part 3: The Sustainable Food Planning Thematic Group

Abstract

This article presents the foundation, mission, and achievements of AESOP’s Sustainable Food Planning Thematic Group. Established in 2009 by Kevin Morgan and Arnold van der Valk, the group brings together academics and practitioners to develop and promote sustainable food systems. Its activities include annual conferences, scholarly publications, and interdisciplinary collaboration across spatial planning, public health, agriculture, and environmental sciences. The group emphasizes urban and peri-urban agriculture and aims to foster young researchers. Key conferences have been held in Almere, Brighton, Cardiff, Berlin, Montpellier, and Leeuwarden. The group operates informally but is moving toward more structured coordination. Its future goals include educational outreach, PhD integration, and publishing a comprehensive handbook on sustainable food planning.