Announcement and programme

International seminar on urban and peri-urban agriculture

A side event at the IV Tropical Agriculture Congress
Havana, Cuba – 14-17 May 2012

Recent volatility in food prices has raised awareness of the importance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a source of food and nutrition security. In addition to supplying food, UPA generates employment and income for the poor, and contributes to balanced national development and more a liveable urban environment.

During the Thirty-First FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in 2010, Member Countries identified the promotion of UPA as one of FAO’s medium-term priorities for the region. Also in 2010, Ministers of Agriculture of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) endorsed the FAO-CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy, which includes UPA. However, to unlock the full potential of UPA, a number of important challenges must be overcome, including the need to develop a conducive institutional framework, to identify and address gender gaps, and to provide training and extension services to urban producers.

For several years now, FAO has assisted the implementation of UPA programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the process is incomplete. A review of experiences is needed in order to understand better how to promote UPA in all countries of the region – from small island states to large landlocked countries – particularly in the light of climate changes and the risk of natural disasters.

The Seminar will be held in Havana, Cuba, where a successful urban agriculture programme, in place for two decades, meets a large part of urban food demand. Cuba is now implementing a peri-urban programme that will expand the concept of urban agriculture in the country. The Seminar will give participants the opportunity to learn from the Cuban experience.

Objectives

The seminar will contribute to regional coordination and collaboration among programmes and projects on UPA in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of establishing a regional strategy and programme on UPA to enhance food and nutritional security in the region.

Specific objectives

• Review experiences and lessons learned
• Assess UPA’s contribution to urban food supply, nutrition and livelihoods
• Capitalize on current experiences and knowledge
• Foster UPA initiatives and networking
• Lay the foundations for increased policy and institutional support for UPA
• Promote ecologically sound agriculture and environmental sustainability

Expected outputs

• A strategic framework for the promotion of UPA in the Caribbean region
• A baseline of the current status of UPA in the region
• Identification and prioritization of training needs at the level of policy-makers, producers, and extensionists

Summary of events

• Keynote speakers will present the situation of UPA globally, in the region and in Cuba
• Each country or project representative will present his/her experiences including achievements and challenges, 12-15 minutes each
• The consolidated information based on a predefined format, will identify problems and needs of the region, which will allow thematic discussion on these topics
• Field visits to production areas of UPA in the Havana area
• Presented information will feed into group work
• Working groups will be formed for analysis and discussion by topics
• Each group will present conclusions and recommendations as well as inputs for the development of the proposed regional agenda in UPA-FNS in LAC
• Two committees will be formed: one for drafting the regional strategy proposal and one for writing the "Havana Declaration on UPA" (for press release)

Venue

Palacio de Convenciones
Hotel Palco
Calle 146e/11 y 13, Reparto Siboney
Havana, Cuba
Tel: (537) - 2043449
Fax: (537) - 2045956

Programme

Contacts

Further information

For updates see:
www.fao.org/ag/agp/greenercities/en/events/