Thank you for this very interesting, comprehensive and timely document. Congratulations. Our research group reviewed the document, focusing on the prompting questions “Does the V0 draft cover sufficiently the implications of this broader definition of urban and peri-urban food systems?” and “Are there any other issues concerning urban and peri-urban food system that have not been sufficiently covered in the draft report?”.
Specifically, we note that various aspects related to environmental constraints and opportunities for urban agriculture and foodsheds are not well represented. The environmental framing is noted on page 19, as is stated “Therefore, better food waste management in urban areas represents an opportunity to cut into emissions while resolving other issues around energy, soil quality, waste management and human health.”. While highlighting here that urban and peri-urban agriculture may play a role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, seemingly, there is an absence of a larger review of the environmental consequences and constraints of urban agriculture. More work is needed on the quantified GHG emission profiles, food production, and their respective drivers, and this could be enhanced in the document. With regards to GHG targets, urban and peri-urban agriculture can directly reduce GHGs through 1) nature-based climate solutions including carbon sequestration in crops and soils in cities; and 2) reductions in carbon emissions due to avoided land-use change and agricultural expansion, vis-à-vis food production on mixed-use lands. In the document, a review of urban soils in GHG emissions reductions, and other environmental constraints to strengthening urban agriculture, namely soil fertility, soil contamination and soil restoration, could be included.
In regards to foodsheds, on the one hand, the document recognizes that cities' foodsheds range from local to distant lands (p. 62). Yet figures 1.2 and 1.3 for city foodsheds give the impression that an urban foodshed is local, or regional. But rather instead of a border, arguably, we need to be thinking of foodsheds from an ecosystems perspective.
Finally, while diversity and resiliency is explored in section 4.6.5., the document lacks explicit emphasis on agrobiodiversity and pollinator diversity in cities, and the role of culturally appropriate crop diversity and diverse seed sources in cities. These agroecological aspects are key to strengthening the sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback.
Sustainable Food and Farming Futures Cluster
University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
Sustainable Food and Farming Futures Cluster University of Toronto Scarborough