Food Supply and Distribution to Cities

Food for cities: the complexity of food supply and distribution systems

FAO is concerned with the impact that urbanization and increasing poverty have on food security of low-income households, including those living in urban areas, in developing countries and countries in transitions (DCT). Low-income consumers need to have easy access to a wide variety of healthy food items. This means that they not only need the required financial resources but also that food is available within reasonable distances at acceptable prices and sanitary conditions.

To meet these requirements, production, handling, marketing, transportation, processing, as well as wholesaling and retailing activities - which constitute food supply and distribution systems (FSDSs) - must be executed as efficiently as possible, provide reasonable returns to farmers, take place in acceptable sanitary conditions and create minimal, if any, environmental damage. Adequate market and storage infrastructure, inputs, appropriately enforced regulations and meaningful collaboration between government and civil society organizations are also required. Entrepreneurship needs to be stimulated to take advantage of the numerous income generating opportunities that come forth in satisfying growing food markets. The role played by local authorities and private sector associations, chambers, etc., is of paramount importance, and constraints limiting their technical involvement must be addressed through institutional stregthening. As food products proceed to the final market through various administrative zones, the need for local policies and action plans facilitating the daily activities of producers, traders, transporters, etc. becomes all the more apparent.

FAO has been working over the last ten years to draw the attention of policy makers, at a central and local level, to the complexity of FSDSs to urban areas and to the synergies between central and local policies and programs.

In the mid 1990's, FAO established a “Food Supply and Distribution to Cities” initiative. Since then, various information, sensitization and training activities have been undertaken. Regional, sub-regional, and national workshops were held in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Near- and Middle-East, while technical documentation and multimedia products were developed and widely diffused to policy makers, technical staff and researchers.

Policy makers have signed numerous region-specific declarations committing to analyze local food supply and distribution arrangements and address constraints limiting the efficiency of activities. They have also expressed their determination to see that local authorities and civil society organizations play an active role. However, their capacity to analyse local problems affecting food supply and distribution activities and to formulate technically sound local policies and action plans needs to be strengthened.

The most recent declaration was signed on the March 23, 2005 in Douala by representatives of all the local authorities in Cameroon. This declaration is particularly important first because it states in detail the commitment of local authorities vis-à-vis food security and, secondly, because it is the first declaration to be signed by all local authorities in a country. In this respect, the Douala Declaration sets an important precedent. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Local Administration and Decentralisation of Cameroon have welcomed this commitment.

Through FAO's work and similar by other international institutions, the challenges posed by urbanization, urban poverty and food security, and the need for a local approach to enhancing food security of urban dwellers are receiving increasing attention by policy makers throughout the world. Much needs still to be done in the fight against poverty and food insecurity. FAO's effort in favour of sound local approaches to food security needs to continue also in view of the ongoing decentralization of responsibilities to local governments. External funds from the donor community as well as from DCT governments themselves to continue with:

free distribution, through the “Food for the Cities” Collections, of technical documentation as well as information and training instruments;
holding regional, subregional and national sensitisation seminars and workshops;
providing training services on demand and advancing learning opportunites;
providing technical assistance in the preparation of specific case studies;
providing technical assistance for the formulation and implementation of local policies, strategies and action plans.