Migration and Urban Agriculture: how urban food production contributes to the resilience of displaced peoples throughout the world

 

Migration and Urban Agriculture: how urban food production contributes to the resilience of displaced peoples throughout the world

 Carla Mucavi, Director, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York

 

 Distinguished delegates, partners, ladies and gentlemen, and young guests,

 

• It is with great pleasure that I welcome you, on behalf of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, along with our organizing partners, the UN Food Gardens Initiative, the NYC Parks GreenThumb Programme, and New Roots, to this significant event, the third of what is becoming a remarkable series of discussions in support of the importance of urban agriculture for ensuring sustainable food systems.
• This year’s theme, “Migration and Urban Agriculture: how urban food production contributes to the resilience of displaced peoples throughout the world”, is an especially important topic for FAO.
• As well, it is fitting to have this discussion right here in New York City, home to a great number of first and second-generation immigrants, which I am sure there are many among the crowd here today.  
• When migrants travel and make homes in new places, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge stemming from their unique experiences. This is particularly true when it comes to food and agriculture, where insights on various crops and techniques have often been shaped by the knowledge of migrants.
• A little over 10 years ago, in 2007, there was a turning point in human history where for the first time the number of people living in cities outnumbered those living in rural areas. And by 2050, it is expected that as much as 75% of the world’s population will be calling cities their home.
• This includes people that moved to cities for diverse reasons, including forced migration. There are an estimated 258 million international migrants and 763 million internal migrants worldwide, most of them settling in urban areas. And unfortunately, due to conflict and climate change, this number is expected to grow.
• As cities become more populated to accommodate these changes, it presents us with great challenges, in particular to grow enough food. But it also presents us with opportunities.
• Among these is urban agriculture, which although cannot be the only way used to achieve food security and nutrition, it can provide significant contribution to it. It is important to note that urban agriculture includes a wide-range of activities: production, as well as postharvest handling, processing, and marketing of foodstuff of crops, animal source-products, and ornamentals and flowers.
• FAO has many examples that prove the value of urban agriculture for coping with displaced people and their resilience.  
• In Haiti and Indonesia, vegetable gardening has been a good contributor to recovery from natural disasters. Vegetable gardens can be highly productive, easily managed and can yield surplus produce for sale. They allow for low-income city dwellers and other vulnerable groups, including displaced migrants, to improve their own food and nutrition security.
• In Bangladesh, with one of the largest number of displaced people in history, the Rohingya refugees and host communities have benefited from seed supply and capacity building through FAO support working jointly with the Department of Agricultural Extension.
• And in Quito, Ecuador, the success of AGRUPAR, a participatory urban agriculture program, revolves around adding value to the harvested products through local organic certification and the “bio farm markets” that allow those involved, many of who migrated from rural areas, to sell at a good price and operate a sustainable business.
• Finally, I would like to conclude by mentioning the significance of the connection of culture to food and agriculture. That our event of today highlights “culture” in the word “agriculture” is something to reflect upon when looking at displaced people and urban agriculture. We will continue to advocate for the rights of migrants, and to support these populations in building their resilience.
• Thank you very much for joining us in supporting this novel initiative. Let us keep enhancing urban agriculture as one important source of opportunities for global sustainable development.  Have an enjoyable and productive event.