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?
Response: Digitization is important but lacking in scope. Digitalization viewed from economic, social and behavioral dimensions to explore the benefits and impacts on food and nutrition security rural- urban continuum. It informs the report on aspects on sustainability of e-commerce, distribution and can lobby movement on the consumption of traditional and locally produced products.
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.
Response: Informal systems e.g farmers managed seed system, local food systems etc. that are often not recognized in policies remained resilient in the Covid-19 pandemic and were the source of affordable, nutritious food for both rural and urban poor communities. Links to useful resources;
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01076-1
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?
Response: Agriculture and trade policies that expose least developed communities to agricultural dumping. Low-priced food imports weaken the agricultural sectors of vulnerable countries in the long-term and hindered the development of competitive agricultural production and affects food security.
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?
Response: Develop program based strategic plan that is open to global tendencies with regulatory frameworks that protect food producers and ensure profitable agriculture for families. Currently, Rural farmers do not receive much for their produce yet consumers pay a higher price for lower quality food. This is because of disjointed public policies. The government of Uganda adopted the program based approach https://eprcug.org/eprc-highlights/how-the-government-can-successfully-implement-the-programme-based-approach-of-ndp-iii/
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?
Response: Attracting investments respecting human rights based mode of development to Improve incomes, employment and enterprise opportunities for the poor as well as improving gender equality and reducing the negative impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
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?
Response: Policy coherence for sustainable food and nutrition systems along the rural-urban continuum is important. The MILAN URBAN FOOD POLICY PACT is a relevant experience which can be adopted with some modifications and applied in local context. https://www.milanurbanfoodpolicypact.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Milan-Urban-Food-Policy-Pact-EN.pdf
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?
Response: Food security has not been a priority for investment policies and laws. Various related professions such as town planning and urban design, public health administration have not adequately incorporated these subjects into their curricula for professional training.
7. What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations?
Response: While the pandemic has increased awareness of good nutrition and the need for organic products, tendering systems in local governments are making it very difficult to set up regional markets selling only organic products in Uganda's rural, urban and peri-urban centers. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/uganda-market-challenges
8. How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?
Response: Democratic governance open and inclusive participation. Developing countries should not rely heavily on voluntary guidelines adopted from developed countries to inform own development. This often pre-empts the need for specific references to public participation and access to information in the sectoral legislation.
9. Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?
Response: Experiences of consumers' willingness to pay for food safety labels in an emerging market. Labeling and brand protection policies in the food system to provide greater traceability in its supply chain, improve efficiency and thereby reduce counterfeits, and ultimately enhance the overall customer experience of choosing healthy diets in urban, peri-urban and rural centers. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.03.004
Г-н HUZAIMA SEKALEMA