Question 1 - About the conceptual framework
- The definition of urban and peri urban food systems could be slightly improved to have a clearer opening of the report.
These are now described in relation to activities (p.7) but it can be expanded - also building on the reference from Tefft et al, 2021 – to include actors, institutions and environments. It is still a complex concept so I would be in favour of adding a scheme or a series of images next to this paragraph.
Moreover, a broader explanation of these systems could come earlier in the report, it would imply a change in the structure but may be beneficial in guiding the following arguments.
- To better develop the complexity of U-PU systems, I would consider revising the current framework in the light of other key topics connecting food and cities.
I think it can help in making clearer how do U-PU systems connect to everyday life aspects for general readers, and how their challenges can be tackled in strategic interventions bringing about benefits in more than one ‘dimension’, for decision makers.
This need to identify emerging key topics becomes evident when you come across certain sections that are not well developed (i.e. online food retail). Some elements can be introduced within a broader explanation (for example, urban food supply and distribution and the different types of food retail). Following this, the most relevant aspects / entry points for action can be expanded (i.e. territorial markets for food nutrition in contexts of high vulnerability to food insecurity; information and regulation of the midstream; etc.).
- Taking the case of markets to think through food and cities:
When describing markets in their roles for strengthening urban and peri urban food systems (as raised in p.46), the argument can be improved by highlighting the dimensions in which these impact – which go beyond the supply role that is well explained and which also impact on conditions of food security.
These dimensions can be identified in relation to key urban challenges, such as:
- the strengthening of local economies
- the development of territorial linkages
- the planning of sustainable / green cities
- governance of public services (including food and nutrition),
- the right to the city – implying the use and appropriation of spaces and services that are for public purpose (for example, regulations favoring the use of public spaces for markets).
Question 3 - About trends and information on key elements
- An improved account on the status and vulnerability to food insecurity today is needed.
Especially in relation to the most recent and consecutive global events (such as COVID-19, political conflicts and wars, and climate change events).
There are publications about food insecurity worsening during the pandemic and about the fact we do not have a real scenario of recovery yet, given other conditions also increasing vulnerability.
It is important to make this situation clearer for decision makers to realize this scenario is particularly sensitive to any policies or interventions they undertake - regarding or disregarding effects on food systems.
On markets:
- Some distinctions regarding markets should be made.
It seems the section on territorial markets (pp.46-47) is bringing together:
farmers markets, also referred as territorial markets in some studies;
retail markets, also referred as public markets, centrally located in cities or city districts, traditionally public properties but not the main status today;
and other forms of collective vending that may be identified as markets.
Informality and management weaknesses are more closely linked to retail and street markets than to farmers' markets - which in certain locations may be operating as well-constituted spaces and under clearer policies than other public markets (for example, old farmers markets in the Andes, for wholesale and retail).
- The share of urban population obtaining food from market sources is mentioned (p.43) but it brings together different types of market sources which makes it unclear.
It is a complicated figure to build globally. It could be more accurate to describe the situation per region and/or per representative set of countries/cities for which the figure could be more accurately measured.
Question 4 - About references
- FAO Investment Centre Food systems assessments:
https://www.fao.org/support-to-investment/our-work/projects/fsa2021/en/
These reports can be useful for identifying regional trends, as well as to identify the attention given to the urban dimension in food systems sustainability (often not adequately assessed).
You may have reviewed this series of reports (from which some of the experts here and I participated) but I raise them because I did not see them in the citations.
It is a long set and it may be more time effective to contact the leaders of this initiative - James Tefft and Patrick Herlant (or Beatrice Ngirabacu, to facilitate the communication).
I recently collaborated in the synthesis of a regional report for Latin America, based on these FAO assessments conducted for LAC and enriched by information from a complementary set of country case studies. Patrick Herlant and Jorge Albarracin (Bolivia) were leading this effort. It may be a good source of information or complement to your reflections for this regional area.
- FAO – EBRD studies on urban food systems during COVID 19:
A team at the Investment Centre, led by Florent Tomatis, has undertaken a series of studies on urban food distribution in main European cities, funded by the EBRD. The publications were under review, but you could request more information (a tentative title to the complete publication was: COVID-19 Pandemic package: evolution of food distribution systems – The resilience pathway).
These case studies included values on the market share of different types of marketing channels, trends in food commercialization and consumption, among others.
- FAO Latin America reports on markets:
This regional office has developed some studies on the regional situation of markets, and included some approximations to the share of different marketing channels – where the traditional predominates.
There is also mention to trends. E-commerce for instance does not develop at the pace it does for northern countries.
FAO and FLAMA. 2022. Wholesale markets: The social and economic effects of wholesale markets on urban food systems – 03/01/2022. Bulletin No. 8. Santiago, FAO.
Intini, J., Torres, J., and Ramírez, A. 2020. Series The food system and the challenges of COVID-19: Traditional food supply channels in a pandemic: suggestions for their modernisation. No. 4. Santiago, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1542en
- FAO Investment Centre on wholesale food markets:
Although the publication of the report we presented to you is still in process, we use references to public ‘virtual’ spaces where we have shared this work. A suggestion to include them in case what we shared was useful:
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. 2022. Webinar: Mercados de alimentos: sistema alimentario urbano para ciudades resilientes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_lj_pJ_7Sk&list=LL&index=10&t=2637s
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. 2023. Webinar: Cómo trasladar los mercados mayoristas afuera de las ciudades: lecciones aprendidas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLHTjOFE-zw
Huaita-Alfaro, A.M., Quintero, M.C., y Tomatis, F. 2023. Urban Food Security: How to connect our cities’ food systems?
Tomatis, F., Huaita-Alfaro, A.M. y Quintero, M.C. 2023. Urban Food Security: where should wholesale markets be located?
- Studies on food markets – political economy and urban sociology approximations:
Sergio Schneider (University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) and colleagues have developed some studies on food markets – mainly farmers markets, developing connections of these to larger food economic markets. You may find some inputs from their analysis of relevance here too:
Schneider, S. y Cassol, A. 2023. Fostering new rural-urban relationships through markets, and the key role of governance. Food and Agriculture in Urbanized Societies. Research in Rural Sociology and Development, Volume 26, 83–105
van der Ploeg, J.D., Ye, J. y Schneider, S. 2022. Reading markets politically: on the transformativity and relevance of peasant markets, The Journal of Peasant Studies, 1-26
van der Ploeg, J.D. y Schneider, S. 2022. Autonomy as a politico-economic concept: Peasant practices and nested markets. Journal of Agrarian Change, 1–18.
Dr. Ana Maria Huaita Alfaro