Complete report from the session - A Conversation about Linking Farmers to Local Buyers: Opportunities, Challenges and Successes
Organizers: Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada; Dr. Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University, UK; Julien Custot, Food-For-Cities, FAO
Presenter: Dr. Roberta Sonnino, Cardiff University, UK
Connecting urban, peri-urban and rural farmers to local buyers can enhance producer income streams, build more ecologically sound food systems, and give buyers from local restaurants, school programs, government offices and other institutions access to fresher, healthier food. Using a World Cafe conversation approach, this Side Event provides a venue for participants to exchange stories and learn about local procurement opportunities, challenges and successes. We will identify key topics, break into groups to share stories, and report the most important reflections to the whole group at the end of our event. Possible topics include: marketing and monitoring systems to ensure farmer and small entrepreneur interests; scale-appropriate technologies; social business models; and/or, local, organic food to reconnect people with nature.
A note taker will record key insights to be disseminated through “Food for Cities” global network moderated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The Process
To begin, Dr. Roberta Sonnino from Cardiff University introduced and provided background to the topic of how public procurement and sustainable food systems intersect. Her key points include the emergence of cities as food policy actors, including examples of how city governments around the world are using the policy tools at their disposal to fashion more sustainable urban foodscapes. Dr. Sonnino's introduction ended with a series of critical questions on the potential of urban governance in addressing food security and on the importance of knowledge-exchange mechanisms that can help cities to share best practice. The participants (Julien do you have a list of who attended and if yes, can we share that here or maybe as a footnote or in a separate section?) were then asked to identify what they see as the most pressing questions. These were consolidated into the following three topics and people assigned themselves to discussion groups. Each group was asked to identify key challenges, share success stories and identify next steps.
The participants who attended the Side Event session decided to explore three topics:
1. Who will produce goods under the process of urbanization? Including a consideration of how we can intensify ecologically sound production given decreasing labour supply due to rural to urban migration.
2. How can labour be incentivized to stay (or take up?) food production and remain in rural environments. There was a strong focus on scale issues and the need for integrated involvement, networks and participation under this topic.
3. Adopting a multi-stakeholder perspective, what is the role of the private sector in urban food security? How can public and private interests be reconciled? How can we ensure maximum value is added by all sectors? How can we better distribute value throughout the entire food system chain?
Group Deliberations
1. Who will produce food under the process of urbanization? Including a consideration of how we can intensify ecologically sound production given decreasing labour supply due to rural to urban migration.
Challenges
Planning for amenities in rural areas (as window to reduce rural to urban migration)
Transportation infrastructure in food production areas
Water supply issues including regulation and contamination
Balancing market connection/trade against market created shortage
Need infrastructure to lower costs and help retain labour
Opportunities
Link local farmers with school markets ("Food For Education" programmes or food as fee)
Use community gardens as livelihood option in urban slums (can also be used to facilitate water reuse e.g. Israel and/or Casablanca case study)
Government funding for food production via credit programs
Key points
These are not one country issues, regional in nature
Land tenure is key underlying issue
2. How can labour can be incentivized to stay (or take up?) food production and remain in rural environments. There was a strong focus on scale issues and the need for integrated involvement, networks and participation under this topic.
Challenges
Valuing labour in rural areas
Increasing income (but not food prices)
Producing quickly to shift from subsistence to commercial farming (by increasing production)
Successes/ opportunities
Farmers' markets and CSAs (*important note: need to monitor quality)
Public procurement strategies
Street food/ drop (spelling?) markets
Education/ training (e.g. Casablanca) and Philippines (government intervention through scholarships)
Agritourism
Food banks and leftover re-use (distribution and waste management opportunities)
Support effective post-harvest management
Primary Next Steps
Integrated urban food strategies
3. Adopting a multi-stakeholder perspective, what is the role of the private sector in urban food security? How can public and private interests be reconciled? How can we ensure maximum value is added by all sectors? How can we better distribute value throughout the entire food system chain?
Challenges
Public procurement is focused only on a few food items
Role of public sector to set standards and policies
Middlemen and distribution of profits
Ensuring proper infrastructure
Competition with cheaper items
Successes/ opportunities
Revenue increase from food marketing
Association (cooperative) of producers (technical)
Local institutions for procurement
Privates sector contribution in increasing production
Improving information (e.g. new communication technologies)
Improved infrastructure at all points including production, post harvest and supply
Key points
To improve the chain from farm to market need:
• supportive regulations and standards
• scale appropriate infrastructure and communication (e.g. new technologies)
• public procurement mechanisms and end users
In addition to the in-person session at the World Urban Forum, the Food-For-Cities list serve participants were asked to provide input into what questions they need addressed. A scan of strands on the Food-For-Cities list serve and associated documents was also undertaken post Rio+20. Following are the key issues identified through these additional assessments as additional starting points for future research and deliberation.
A. Suggested topics from the Food-for Cities list serve input as we developed the application to World Urban Forum organizers.
1. marketing and monitoring systems to ensure farmer and small entrepreneur interests;
2. scale-appropriate technologies;
3. social business models;
4. local, organic food to reconnect people with nature.
B. Topics identified from a review of documents posted on Food-For-Cities list serve post Rio+20:
• Role of nutrition including access to quality food, provision of a sanitary environment, access to basic income and healthcare, healthy eating information, education
• Role of improved local urban rural food linkages to stabilize supply especially in the face of climate change
• Promotion of biodiversity and diet diversity to build and maintain resilient systems
• Effects of migration
• Gender
• Role of cooperatives, social enterprise, and other financing opportunities
• Need for enabling policy, regulations and programs for improved procurement linkages
