Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Re: Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation

A Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions?

All dimensions of food security should be addressed. For example, the aspect of food availability could take into account aspects such as physical availability of food considering value chain aspects such as production, processing, reserves, markets as well as transportation (but being mindful of the GHGs), secondly the dimension of utilization (i.e. maximizing nutrients and energy, including preparation, serving, inclusion of various diets and lastly accessibility and stability – by ensuring a better integration of resources between rural and urban areas, procurement policies and accessibility despite physical and economic constraints, exploring opportunities in local food production and shorter supply chains

B Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts.

  • Use public food procurement (including for school meals) to support shorter food supply chains and small-scale farmers
  • Support food sharing practices, which allow to enhance urban-rural linkages through knowledge and skills sharing
  • Strengthen fresh food markets (e.g. develop enabling policy environment for local fresh food markets to grow, support smallholder access to markets by providing infrastructure, finance and business assistance, connect market actors with local authorities)
  • Create market opportunities for small-scale producers and facilitate direct relationships between producers and consumers.
  • Facilitate access to land for farmers, including in peri-urban areas (local authorities have a key role to play as they can act on land they own, regulate the way others act, and convene and facilitate connections)

C Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions:

1. What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

  • Lack of collaboration between local government, local farmers, local consumers and local non-government organizations

2.  How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes?

3. How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings?

Resilient food supply chains require short distances, support to small-scale farmers and diversification of food production to build more self-sufficiency in the territory. Example of key projects are COACH and SchoolFood4Change 

4. What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency, and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems?

  • Develop a set of resilience indicators to support countries on a local and national level in developing more Resilient food systems

5. How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises?

6.  What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources?

COACH aims to facilitate collaboration between farmers, consumers, local governments and other actors to scale up short agri-food chains which rebalance farmers’ position, create win-wins for producers and consumers and drive innovation in territorial food systems

7.  How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition needs of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met?

Identify the barriers and factors that influence dietary behaviors of different groups, taking into account geographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, gender, and cultural differences. The project places particular emphasis on a multi-stakeholder approach, always prioritizing the needs and interests of vulnerable groups and ensuring that no one is left behind (FEAST)

8.  What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations?

  • Extended food value chains and power imbalances make it difficult for farmers to access markets and earn a decent income.
  • COACH facilitates collaboration between farmers, consumers and local governments to scale up short agri-food value chains to create a favorable conditions for both producers and consumers

 9. In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience?

The framework of circular food systems offers actionable steps to decrease overall waste production and resource consumption. It also offers various co-benefits:

  • Climate action: Circular food systems decrease need for new production, protect carbon sinks and create new sources of sustainable energy (e.g. from waste heat, anaerobic digestion of organic waste).
  • Resilience: Circular food systems reduce reliance on scarce resources, support resource efficient infrastructure and diversify the sources of key resource flows such as energy and water.
  • Biodiversity protection: Circular food systems reduce waste production and pollution as well as pressure on natural resources.
  • Inclusion: Circular food systems  increase access to products and services through the promotion of waste prevention and resource sharing.
  • Innovation: Circular food systems create opportunities for local innovations and business opportunities.

Adopting a systemic innovation approach, implementing diverse innovation actions across nine real-life food chains, called Systemic Innovation Living Labs (ZeroW)

10. How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?

  • Fostering experimentation and learning
  • Food Policy Councils can also be used in participatory processes  
  • Inclusive food systems

11.  Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?

Develop the Food Sharing Compass, a social innovation support platform for policy makers, food supply actors, researchers, and citizens and help these stakeholders to navigate food sharing landscapes and cultures to understand, develop, replicate, scale out and strengthen food sharing (Cultivate project)