Food Forward: Design Futures to Support Alternative Food Systems in Urban Areas

Environmental crises, social and economic challenges, and technological uncertainties highlight the urgent need for more sustainable food systems. While food affects climate change and inequality, these issues also influence food security. In this context, Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) offer promising ways to renew our relationship with food from production to consumption. This paper offers a speculative and design-led perspective on emerging practices within AFNs, proposing scenarios for Milan's food system in 2035. Two main uncertainties create these scenarios: Governance, which looks at power and decision-making dynamics, and Approaches, which examine how institutions and societies respond to environmental and social issues, emphasising either adaptation or mitigation strategies. Using the design-orienting scenario theory, we outline four possible futures in 2035, considering innovations at the actor level, their relationships with actors at the system level, and broader societal changes. This paper concludes by proposing the concept of "regeneration" as essential for shaping future food scenarios. "Regeneration" refers to the process of reclaiming, maintaining, and restoring the health of ecosystems to enhance resilience. This approach goes beyond ecological health to foster positive outcomes for and with urban ecosystems, suggesting the renewal of societal relationships and structures. It emphasises the crucial role of engaging diverse actors—AFNs, citizens, and mainstream stakeholders—in different ways to create food futures that are not only environmentally sustainable but also socially equitable.