By 2050 the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion, 70 percent of which will be living in urban areas, mainly in low and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. At the same time, global challenges such as the current COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing climate emergency are forcing us to rethink how we produce, process, distribute and consume food. In this context, urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) practices are increasingly being adopted by urban and peri-urban dwellers and promoted by local institutions.

The practice of UPA is central to FAO’s current mission in support of the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, through mainstreaming green innovation for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. UPA is an integral part of the Green Cities Initiative, launched by FAO in 2020 to improve people’s well-being and the environment by promoting sustainable and resilient agrifood systems and green spaces in urban and peri-urban areas, while fostering urban-rural linkages, promoting social inclusion and equity, and strengthening resilience and sustainability.

To collect and systematize information, and to guide local stakeholders in planning and implementing UPA interventions, FAO published the “Urban and peri-urban agriculture sourcebook – from production to food systems” together with its partners, the RUAF Global Partnership for Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems and Rikolto. Based on an analysis of over 200 global examples, including six in-depth case studies, the sourcebook provides insights into UPA practices and different typologies, challenges to the uptake and operation of UPA as well as actions to overcome these, and crosscutting issues such as food system governance, multi-stakeholder engagement and urban planning. Celebrating the launch of the sourcebook, FAO organized a webinar on 29 July 2022, including co-authors and city representatives.

The event highlighted that it can be useful for local decision-makers to understand the different types and variations of UPA, and analyse the locations, actors, practices and challenges of already existing food production in urban and peri-urban areas. In a context of scarce resources, food production often competes with other sectors such as housing, infrastructure and industry. Thus, planners and practitioners should look beyond short-term returns on investment, taking into consideration the many benefits related to climate adaptation, food security, job creation, health and wellbeing, community building and resilience.

Creating an enabling environment for UPA requires integrated urban governance across multiple departments and multi-stakeholder collaboration involving the public and private sector, community groups, and academics. Furthermore, it is important to ensure coherence of policies between national, regional and local levels, and to identify how higher-level policies might constrain UPA interventions locally.

When it comes to commercial urban farming, preliminary findings from a study conducted by FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development revealed an increasing interest from diverse investors. While the most profitable commercial urban farms required high initial investment and production capacity, and focused on premium markets, the financial performance ultimately depends on the context, the purpose of the business, and the needs of the overall environment.

The webinar concluded by outlining that UPA re-emerged despite the declining role of agriculture in cities. With new ways of farming, such as vertical systems and resource-efficient practices, its relevance is growing even more in the context of limited resources and competition between different land uses. The increasing frequency of extreme events disrupting food supply chains has demonstrated the crucial importance of careful planning of food supply sources and their proximity to consumption points. While the UN Food Systems Summit has already increased the visibility and attention to urban and local food systems, it is now time for governments to leverage UPA for building the resilience and sustainability of city regions and improving the health and wellbeing of urban and peri-urban dwellers.

You can find the recording of the event here. To download the publication, please visit the FAO Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture website.