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As the year winds down, we want to thank you. We’re truly glad you found the space to engage with our work and join the conversation ; it’ s been a remarkable journey so far. Movimento Metropolitano spent 2025 seeking out the stories that matter. We’ve shared what we’ve learned along the way, and it has been a pleasure to have you with us for those conversations. There’s much more to come. We’re already busy with new plans and we can’t wait to share them. In the meantime, y

We’ve mistaken buying for belonging. Every December, the lights go up and the ritual repeats itself: the scramble for gifts, the assumption that cost equals care. But the real luxury isn’t wrapped. It’s time. Time to make a proper pot of tea. Time to cook a meal without rushing. Time to sit, listen, and stay. For many, the season is spent in silence. In the UK alone, around 1.5 million older people spend Christmas by themselves. In Japan, extreme social withdrawal - hikikomo

By Andrea Rasca . This year, in all the noise and rush, I kept asking myself one simple question: what truly holds a society together? Economists point to GDP, politicians to strategies, tech experts to algorithms, all designed to glorify metrics. But for me, the answer is much simpler and profound. A society stands or falls by its rituals: the bread we break, the stories we share, and the wisdom we carry forward. I live in one of the wealthiest cities in the world, where we

2025 forces an uncomfortable reckoning with the industrial food system, a challenge our founder, Andrea Rasca , and the entire Movimento Metropolitano team have been confronting for years. We continue to strip away layers of marketing and misdirection, revealing that the roots of health lie not just in science, but in systemic and economic factors. This year's lesson reinforces what we’ve always known: the plate is political . True wellbeing depends as much on structural int

This Budget is a negotiation over who eats, who pays, and who survives. The government presents it as balance, but the reality is tension: wages rise, costs rise, and the promise of relief is offset by what is quietly taken away. The rise of the National Living Wage to £12.71 by 2026 is justice for workers, and for many it will feel like that—a pay packet that stretches further, a week made less precarious. It’s recognition of dignity in labour. Yet for kitchens and cafés alr

Hippocrates  knew the final cost of a cheap meal long before the courts ruled against Bayer . His wisdom—‘ Let food be thy medicine’ —is no longer ancient history; it’s the fundamental and non-negotiable principle for modern public health. It seems that the only intelligent path forward is a full-circle walk back to this simplest truth. This truth is rooted in his simple observation: all health rested on the plate and the step taken each day. Hippocrates understood that the g

The reckoning is here. Forget commercial failure; this is a systemic crisis. The $2 billion verdict against Bayer over glyphosate, and the likely US market withdrawal, proves it. As Andrea Rasca has long argued, the global broken food system demands immediate, and clear attention. What is glyphosate ? It’s the world’s most widely used herbicide, famously the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. Bayer acquired the liability when it purchased Monsanto in 2018. The contr

We love the humble sesame seed for its gorgeous, nutty depth. It gives structure to a classic Middle Eastern hummus and adds a delicate finish to Japanese goma-ae. But the humble sesame is far more than just flavour. When we look closely at this tiny grain—whether in its rich tahini form or its fragrant paste—we discover a beautiful link between ancient culinary wisdom and modern biochemistry. Food must nourish the palate and the body, and this seed is a true nutritional phe

When our Founder, Andrea Rasca, first created the original Mercato Metropolitano in Milan, his vision was not just a regenerative community market, but a movement rooted in the profound belief that food is a catalyst for urban regeneration. Andrea’s conviction is that the revitalisation of our cities must come from within—powerfully echoed in books like Ryan Gravel’s Where We Want to Live , which speaks to reclaiming our right to shape the places where we live. The Vision: Re

Stop. Look at your plate. The science is undeniable: our global food system is fundamentally broken. The new EAT–Lancet Commission  report lays bare the brutal truth: what we eat, and how we produce it, is the single biggest driver of environmental collapse.  At the exact same time, this broken system denies half the world a healthy diet. This is a failure to uphold the most basic human rights—the right to food, to health, and to dignity. Andrea Rasca , Founder of Movimento

The remarkable rise of the Kodomo Shokudo offers a powerful blueprint for how food is the single strongest lever to strengthen our societies. These are grassroots hubs forging profound intergenerational connections and restoring the joy of eating together—values we at Movimento Metropolitano hold dear. More Than Just a Meal: A Community Hearth In a world where eating alone, or 'bocchigohan', is increasingly a social concern, the Kodomo Shokudo provides a vital, warm connect

In 2025, the ‘organic’ label is a pivotal point in a complex conversation, spanning the UK and the wider European Union (EU). For decades, the standard meant a clear commitment: no artificial inputs, high animal welfare, and respect for natural cycles. The EU Organic Regulation , along with the retained UK standard, legally guarantee a verified production system and traceable supply chains. Yet, consumer perception often defaults to the vague idea of 'natural' and ‘healthier

A major change to UK food regulation is underway. It aims to remove specific labelling and strict oversight from a new generation of...

Matcha has moved from Japanese tradition to a ubiquitous global wellness staple. But what happens when intense popularity stretches this niche product too thin? When demand exceeds a supply, the quality breaks. So can the powder’s nutritional substance withstand the marketing feeding frenzy? The unique case for matcha is pragmatic and scientific—unlike steeped tea, you consume the entire shaded leaf. This key difference naturally concentrates the essential compounds. Expert

We all know the four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. For centuries, these have been the pillars of our culinary understanding. But there’s a fifth, and deeper flavour that brings a sense of rich, savoury satisfaction. That taste is umami . Umami was first identified over a century ago by a Japanese chemist named Kikunae Ikeda. He discovered that the unique, savoury flavour he found in traditional kombu (kelp) broth was due to a compound called glutamate. He name

Forgetting the common misconceptions about vegan dining in Japan, we find a truly extraordinary food culture that has blossomed for centuries. Shojin ryori is a testament to the harmony between nature and human creativity. Shojin ryori is a food philosophy, a deeply spiritual practice that brings us closer to the ingredients themselves. Crafted from vegetables, beans, seaweed, and grains, this cuisine contains no animal products whatsoever. As a tradition of Zen Buddhist mon

Long before superfoods were trending, our ancestors from the Fertile Crescent to ancient Egypt and the vibrant kitchens of the Maghreb knew something far more fundamental. Simple, humble pulses like lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas sustained entire civilisations. Their journey from ancient ritual to a modern staple isn't a new story, but a timeless reconnection with what has always worked. There’s no trade-off on quality for convenience. Pulses are a testament to how simp

The return to work and school is a jarring transition. After the inertia of a summer break, it can feel as if your mind and body have to readjust to new demands. And all the good intentions in the world won't get you through the day without the right food . What does an effective nutritional strategy look like? Well, you could think of this list as non-negotiable: Complex Carbohydrates: your brain runs on a steady supply of glucose. Choose whole grains, pulses, and vegetable

There's a trade-off we make every day without much thought. We've bought into a world where fruit from distant lands sits polished and perfect, a symbol of modern convenience—but at what cost? The food - the vitamins, minerals and life force - is exposed to light and heat on its long journey. By the time it reaches us, it’s a shadow of what it once was. This is due to nutrient degradation, a process like oxidation that strips produce of its vital compounds the longer it's e

At the heart of  this conversation with Andrea Rasca , he shares his unique perspective on the future of food and the driving forces...