Many thanks to the Bin2Bean partners of Wageningen University for their recent open-access paper, ‘Cities in the Loop: A Social Science Perspective on Circular Food Systems’, which provides valuable insights on this topic.

Today’s food systems remain largely linear (“take-make-dispose”), generating environmental pressures, inefficiencies, and inequalities. As major hubs of consumption and waste, cities are well positioned to reshape food practices, yet research often overlooks the social dimensions of this transition.

The authors propose approaching circularity as a transformative design principle and identify three priority areas for a richer social science perspective. First, equitable economic relations and spatial interdependencies are crucial: circularity links actors and places, fostering cooperation and innovation across urban, peri-urban, and rural contexts. Second, governance of the social dimension is key: integrated, multi-level governance should overcome fragmented policies and engage diverse stakeholders, including citizens and marginalized groups. Third, everyday food practices and urban resilience must evolve, shifting citizens from passive consumers to active “prosumers” through composting, reuse, and urban agriculture.

Finally, the paper outlines a practical roadmap emphasizing systemic interdependencies, systems thinking, improved policy integration, education, and collaborative experimentation through urban living labs to enable inclusive, resilient, and equitable circular food transitions.

Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2025.100238