Simone Borelli
Moderator
This event, jointly organized by FAO, UN-HABITAT and ICLEI, aims to identify innovative financial mechanisms to ensure that urban agrifood systems are integrated within the urban development agenda.
As urban populations continue to expand, the challenges of ensuring food security and improved nutrition, as well as biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental sustainability across urban and rural areas are becoming a priority.
The United Nations has clearly recognized the pivotal role of cities and local governments in achieving sustainable agrifood systems transformation during the 2021 Food Systems Summit and the subsequent Stocktaking Moment in 2023. In 2023, urban agrifood systems and healthy diets were the focus of the FAO flagship publication, the “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World”. Also, in the same year, in the Washington Declaration of the 2nd World Forum on Urban Forests, FAO emphasized the need for a more equitable distribution of the goods and services provided by urban nature. In 2024 the importance of taking action on urban agrifood systems is gaining even more momentum with the publication of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) report on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition.
A fast-growing number of local and regional governments are transforming agrifood systems, incorporating both green infrastructure and food systems, in their policies, planning and actions. However, cities and local governments do not receive adequate support and recognition at global and national levels. Moreover, in most cases, agrifood systems issues are managed separately from environmental, health and urban development portfolios.
This event aims to identify innovative financial mechanisms to ensure that urban agrifood systems are integrated into the urban development agenda. Strategic entry points will be identified to connect a global urban agrifood systems agenda to the urban development agenda.
The event will build on the momentum generated by the Urban Agrifood Systems Global Workshop – co-organized by FAO and ICLEI and hosted by FAO in September 2024 in Rome. The event will draw upon the outcomes of the global workshop.