26/10/2017The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), first international protocol on sustainable urban food policies, was launched in Milan in 2015 and has been signed by 159 cities so far. This year, 400 mayors, experts and city delegates from the MUFPP gathered in Valencia from 19 – 21 October 2017 to discuss sustainable food systems within the framework of the Third Annual Gathering of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

During these 3 days, representatives from more than 150 cities had the opportunity to exchange on innovative practices and experiences through different thematic debates. The ongoing work of FAO on a framework to monitor cities’ progress was presented, giving the chance to cities to provide inputs and/or pilot the process. The event was also the occasion for cities’ networks and FAO to launch the Urban Food Actions Platform, made for city representatives, city food actors and experts, to share their innovations or publication within the six thematic areas of the MUFPP. At the end of the 3 days, eight cities were awarded for their efforts. Particularly, Toronto (Canada) and Antananarivo (Madagascar) won with the highest scores for, respectively, “Community Food Works for Newcomers: Using food as tool for settlement and integration” initiative and a “micro-vegetable garden urban agriculture” programme. The event was closed with the announcement of next years’ hosting city of the MUFPP Mayors’ Summit: Tel Aviv, Israel.

Key points were stressed which emphasized the importance of rural-urban linkages, local actions in cities, and inclusive decision making processes to fight poverty and hunger:

"We cannot accept the dichotomy between rural and urban areas, which no longer exists […] We have to adopt a territorial approach based on the integration of the rural with the urban. Only prosperous cities and dynamic rural areas can drive change towards the sustainable food systems we need to fight poverty and hunger […] Local actions are critical to achieving the goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition, guaranteeing more sustainable food systems which are also more resilient to the effects of climate change, and ensuring a healthy and nutritious diet for all" - Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General

 

“Cities are the essence of civilization. The history of the evolution of societies is full of collaborative processes. Only by working together we will make a difference.” – Joan Ribó, Mayor of Valencia

 

FAO-RUAF Foundation joint programme on assessing and planning sustainable city region food systems: closing event Within the framework of the Mayors’ Summit, on 19 October 2017, FAO and RUAF Foundation hosted the closing event of their joint programme on assessing and planning sustainable city region food systems (CRFS). The event provided the opportunity for pilot cities to share their experiences in implementing a comprehensive assessment of the local food system and plan specific policy interventions to foster sustainable and inclusive food systems and reinforce rural urban linkages. Cities like Kitwe (Zambia), Quito (Equator), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Utrecht (The Netherlands), Medellin (Colombia) or Toronto (Canada), had the opportunity to exchange on their own experiences and confront the different challenges faced.

FAO and the RUAF Foundation launched the web-based CRFS assessment toolkit for cities to assess and plan more sustainable and resilient food systems. This methodology had been tested in the eight pilot cities. The toolkit will be finalized by the end of the year.

The event brought together more than 60 city representatives and experts, showing interest in the tools presented, and actively participating in the debate, providing some useful inputs for the finalization of the project and the way forward in each of the pilot cities. Related links: Webcast of the 3 days
More photos of the MUFPP Mayors’ summit event
FAO News – Cities and local policies, key to eradicate hunger and eliminate food waste
FAO-RUAF city region food system toolkit
Urban Food Actions Platform