La Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise (CATL)

About La Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise (CATL)

Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise (CATL) is a Liège-based non-profit association focused on building a more sustainable, local, and socially just food system in the Liège metropolitan area. It brings together citizens, producers, public authorities, researchers, and other local stakeholders to strengthen short food chains, relocalize food production, and support the transition away from industrial and long-distance supply models.

The organization positions itself both as a territorial development initiative and as a social movement. Its work combines network-building, facilitation, public education, policy dialogue, and practical support for food-system actors, with a long-term ambition of making locally consumed food increasingly produced locally under better ecological and social conditions.

Core Values

• Local and relocalized food systems: CATL promotes food production and consumption that are rooted in the Liège territory and organized through short supply chains.
• Ecological transition: The organization emphasizes decarbonizing the food system, supporting sustainable farming practices, and reducing dependence on agro-industry and large-scale distribution.
• Social justice and access: Its work includes food access, solidarity, and support for more equitable food systems, including reflection on food security and the right to food.
• Participation and collective action: CATL relies on cooperation among citizens, institutions, and professionals, and values participatory governance and shared learning.
• Knowledge sharing and education: The association places strong importance on making experience, research, and practical tools accessible to a broad public.

Unique Aspects

• Long-standing territorial coalition: CATL emerged from a collective initiative launched in 2013 by several organizations and the Liège en Transition movement, and it quickly gained support from dozens of organizations and hundreds of citizens.
• Broad ecosystem role: Rather than acting as a single-issue project, CATL connects multiple levers of food transition, including policy work, education, logistics, professional support, and public engagement.
• Recognized education-permanente actor: Since 2021, CATL has been recognized for adult education work in Wallonia-Brussels, reinforcing its role in public awareness and civic learning.
• Named partnerships and policy collaboration: The organization works with local public authorities such as the City of Liège, and with partners including RATAV, local GAL groups, and the NGO Autre Terre on specific initiatives.
• Logistics infrastructure for short chains: CATL supports the Pôle Circuit Court, described on its site as a dedicated logistics center for local food, and its network is associated with the development of a first logistics hub for short food chains in Wallonia, backed by regional and local actors and the City of Liège providing the land.