FAO, UNEP and WFP call for transforming cities into engines of the circular economy

According to FAO data (2019), approximately 11.6 percent of food is lost or wasted every year in the region. Although 50 percent of this waste is organic globally, only 4 percent of municipal waste is recycled or recovered (World Bank report, 2018). This waste is not only an economic issue: food loss and waste account for between 8 and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

At the event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Food Programme, national authorities, mayors, United Nations agencies, academia and regional experts highlighted that revaluing organic waste —through compost, biogas and fertilizers for urban agriculture— offers concrete opportunities to mitigate climate change, generate green jobs and boost the circular economy. They also stressed that closing open-air dumps, which are still present across the region, is an essential part of this transition.

The event, which formed part of the follow-up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), brought together public policies, regulatory frameworks, investments and strategic partnerships aimed at promoting the circular economy, supplying public and private food markets, and improving the efficient management and valorization of organic waste.

“Latin America and the Caribbean is the most urbanized region in the developing world, with 82 percent of its population living in cities, yet 33 million people still suffer from hunger. Cities are centers of consumption and redistribution that must transform in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda. An urban and circular approach to agrifood systems that includes waste valorization and management is urgently needed,” said Rene Orellana Halkyer.

Orellana Halkyer also highlighted the concrete progress promoted by FAO in the modernization of traditional food markets —including wholesale markets, retail markets and street markets— which are advancing toward the responsible management of organic waste.

Participants also included Lena Savelli; Juan Bello; Mauro Tamayo; Marcia Muchagata from Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development (MDS); Angélica Charlin, Business and Sustainability Manager; David Duarte, Head of Environment at the Lo Valledor market; and Alejandra Domper from the Universidad del Desarrollo, among other authorities.

Women as agents of change

The event underscored that women are central actors in food systems and the urban circular economy —in retail trade, recycling and food entrepreneurship— yet they continue to face persistent gaps in access to financing, formalization and participation in decision-making. Food insecurity is consistently higher among women than men in vulnerable urban settings. Integrating a gender perspective into urban policies is not optional: it is essential for the effective transformation of food systems.