28 February 2020, Rome /Madrid- Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050. This compels to rethink the existing food systems if we want to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Against this backdrop, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Prosalus have signed an agreement to monitor the implementation in Spain of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP).

“Cities have the capacity to lead the way towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition”, pointed out Antonio Correa Do Prado, Director of the Social Policies and Rural Institution Division at FAO. “We are glad that Spanish municipalities are active and set this vision at the centre of their political agendas”, he added.

The study should help to generate measures and processes in favour of the Pact, as well as an evaluation framework tailored to the needs of each place. In addition, it will collect experiences from both the public and private sector and civil society.

"We hope to raise awareness about the important role played by urban areas in sustainable food policies. We would like to scale up the dissemination of the Pact, so that more Spanish cities decide to work in this direction”, said José María Media, Director of Prosalus.

The research, which will be undertaken over 2020, will focus on Valencia and Valladolid, as they stand out for their good performance. It will be developed by the Right to Food Watch in Spain (ODA-E), in coordination with Prosalus and with the collaboration of the Network of Cities for Agroecology.

An innovative initiative for in food policy

Launched in 2015, the Milan Pact aims to ensure healthy food for everyone, to promote sustainable food system and to reduce food waste. All this, through a human rights based approach, prioritizing social and economic equity, and participation of multiple actors.

To date, more than 200 cities from all the corners of the world have joined the Pact, among which around 30 are from Spain. Here, most of them are part of the Network of Cities for Agroecology.

FAO, ally in the transformation of urban food systems

The Organization has assisted in boosting the contribution of cities to sustainability. Particularly, the Right to Food Team promotes knowledge generation and exchange of experiences to strengthen decision-making and accountability mechanisms at sub-national levels. It also encourages capacities of local governments, academia and civil society, while fostering collaboration among them.

The Team helps authorities to implement the Right to Food Guidelines, a voluntary policy instrument that guide on how to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

About Prosalus

Prosalus´ activities have strongly addressed economic, social and cultural rights, specifically the right to adequate food. The NGO has been working with FAO over the last years, for instance elaborating the Right to Food Handbooks, and is member of the ODA-E.

About ODA-E

The ODA-E is a network of scholars that carry out cross-sectoral research to advocate for politics that guarantee the right to food. The ODA-E was created in 2018, and currently it is made up of ten universities, ten social entities and about 40 individual researchers

The 2030 Agenda calls for the participation of a variety of actors.The academic sector has a fundamental responsibility to cultivate knowledge, disseminate accurate data, develop analytical capabilities and communicate the value of basic human rights.