International Consultation on the Urban Food Agenda
21/11/2019 - 22/11/2019
FAO Headquarters
Today, more than 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas and consumes 70% of all food produced globally. By 2050, the urban population is expected to grow even more. This presents a challenge: urban areas need efficient food systems that ensure food security, safeguard the environment and promote good nutrition, economic and social development.
Local governments have a key role to play in this process, but they face major challenges in integrating food security, nutrition and sustainable food systems in their agenda. This is partly because many of these issues are outside their jurisdictions. Additionally, national policies dealing with food systems do not take advantage of the positive role that local governments can play. The links among governments at different levels are still weak and there is a lack of coordination and effort to strengthen this.
In order to fill this gap, FAO has launched the Urban Food Agenda, a comprehensive programme developed to fight malnutrition, build sustainable food systems and encourage good nutrition in urban areas. The Agenda aims to transform urban food systems by enabling cooperation between municipalities, national governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.
As part of these efforts, FAO is organizing an international consultation at its headquarters in Rome on 21-22 November 2019. This event will bring together representatives of national and sub-national governments, city networks and alliances, researchers as well as key stakeholders from the private sector, consumer organizations, the civil society and representatives of other relevant global initiatives.
The consultation will be an occasion to share major challenges, as well as an opportunity to bridge national and local food policy gaps and exchange ongoing good practices. Through this, we can explore possible strategies for effective multi-level food system governance and global partnership on the Urban Food Agenda.
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