The overall objective of the Urban and Peri-Urban Food and Nutrition Action Plan is to promote health and quality of life through an integrated, comprehensive food and nutrition policy, in local communities. The benefits of increasing the amount and distribution of locally grown food, especially vegetables and fruit include: environmental, social, and direct and indirect economic benefits in addition to health benefits. The Action Plan is written for everyone, from the local/municipal authorities through to the community itself, interested in achieving a sustainable development through food and nutrition policies. It shows how to prepare community food and nutrition action plans, and it analyses the barriers to action, the opportunities for local action, and the role of the WHO Regional office for Europe.