Bringing together urban and food justice

Last October, during the 52nd plenary session of the Commitee on World Food Security, the side event “Bringing together urban and food justice – building a common agenda across the CFS workstreams on inequalities and urban and peri-urban food systems” convened key stakeholders from civil society, academia, and international institutions to explore how urban and food justice agendas can be aligned. 

Jane Battersby, Professor at the University of Cape Town (UCT), member of the HLPE-FSN report #18 drafting team and main author of the HLPE-FSN report #19, kicked off the session by framing the core issue: how urbanization shapes food security and food systems, particularly focusing on the interactions between these elements. She emphasized that urbanization is not just an isolated factor but one that intersects with a variety of issues impacting food systems, including informality, food safety, waste, climate change, and resilience. Battersby highlighted how these cross-cutting themes can either exacerbate or mitigate food insecurity, depending on how urban systems are structured and governed. She also brought attention to the critical concepts of the Right to food and the Right to the city, underscoring that access to healthy, affordable food is a fundamental human right, and cities must be designed in ways that ensure equitable food access for all residents, particularly marginalized communities. Her intervention set the stage for a deeper discussion on how urban food systems must be reimagined to be more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of rapid urbanization.

Moderated by Nick Nisbett, Member of the Food Equity Centre at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and of the HLPE-FSN report #18 drafting team, Panel One focused on urban food injustices and local realities. Panelists included Iromi Perera, Director of the Colombo Urban Lab, who shared insights into the challenges of urban food systems in Colombo, Elisabetta Recine, President of the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (CONSEA) and member of the HLPE-FSN Steering Committee, and Sadullah Kutlu, an International Relations Expert with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in Konya, Türkiye, who presented on the role of local governments in addressing urban food injustices.

Professor Racine shared valuable insights into Brazil's progress in addressing urban food insecurity and inequalities. She highlighted the profound challenges that Brazil faces due to historic and systemic inequalities, particularly in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and income. She pointed out that, by the end of 2021, the country had 33 million people experiencing hunger, with more than half of the population suffering some degree of food insecurity. However, Recine emphasized the positive shift that began in 2023, as social programs were strengthened and a focus on the poorest populations was prioritized. The hunger rate has since dropped significantly, thanks to these interventions, with 9 million people still hungry as of mid-2024.

She also discussed Brazil’s information systems, which track the vulnerabilities of approximately 97 million people. This data is instrumental in ensuring that social policies, such as Bolsa Família and access to education and housing, reach those most in need. She also spoke about the critical role of Brazil’s National Food and Nutritional Security System (SISAN) in coordinating intersectoral government policies to ensure food security and nutrition. The system’s success, according to Recine, is rooted in its democratic governance, where civil society plays a crucial role in shaping policy through the Food and Nutritional Security Councils. She highlighted how these councils, led by civil society at the federal level, ensure that government actions are informed by diverse perspectives, including those from small producers, urban movements, and marginalized communities. The integration of these grassroots insights has led to the successful implementation of programs like food procurement and school feeding, which have been instrumental in addressing food insecurity across the country. Recine’s intervention emphasized how these actions, driven by both government and civil society, are helping to bridge the gap in urban food justice, particularly in marginalized communities.

Panel Two, moderated by Jody Harris, Member of the Food Equity Centre (IDS) and of the HLPE-FSN report #18 drafting team, highlighted actions by governments and international institutions. Panelists included Ximena Moreno, Co-coordinator of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism for Relations with the UN Committee on World Food Security (CSIPM) Urban and Peri-Urban Working Group, who provided a civil society perspective on the importance of food justice in urban contexts, Isis Ferrera, Senior Urban Advisor at the Emergency Preparedness and Response Service of the WFP, who addressed policy approaches to food security in urban emergencies, and Erwan De Gavelle, Head of the Food Policy Office at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry, Government of France, who discussed the role of national governments in shaping urban food systems.

Case studies, actions and policies driven by both national and local governments and civil society to bridge the gap in urban food justice were shared, illustrating how urban and food justice intersect in real-world contexts. These insights highlighted diverse approaches taken by communities, governments, and organizations to address food security challenges within urban settings. The examples provided enriched the discussion, demonstrating concrete strategies that have been implemented on the ground to create more equitable and resilient food systems, especially for marginalized populations in cities.

The event was designed to foster an interactive exchange, where participants helped develop a common agenda for research, advocacy, and policy that aligns with the CFS multi-year programme of work. The discussions were enriched by contributions from various online and in-person participants, focusing on those most marginalized in food and urban systems and exploring how urbanization can either alleviate or reinforce inequalities depending on structural factors.

The session was organized by the Food Equity Centre, IDS; UCT; CSIPM; CONSEA; WFP; HLPE-FSN; World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments, Government of France and occurred both in-person at FAO HQ in Rome and online, with interpretation in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

 View the recordings.

Read the HLPE-FSN report on "Reducing inequalities for food security and nutrition".

Read the HLPE-FSN report on "Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition, in the context of urbanization and rural transformation".

Know more about the HLPE-FSN drafting teams.