jamila.ADANI | Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Ms. Jamila Adani

UM6P

Morocco

09.01.2024

Congratulations for this first draft. It is very rich and insightful !

This topic is so complexe that when reading this first draft, I kept questionning myself about some concepts that would enrich the existing framework:

Reinventing the notion of space : are we sure there are two spaces : rural and urban ? the complexity of interactions along food value chains, from rural or peri-urban areas to final consumers in cities, requires an integrated approach that goes beyond the dichotomy « urban » and « rural ». We should move from a unique urban or rural approach to a broader perspective that includes and displays the heterogeneity and also the interconnectivity of the territories and spaces that cover the different links of the agri-food system. To facilitate decision making, I believe we should be able to think beyond the « existing borders » and consider how they merge as a third space, a new “rurbanity” where rural and urban spaces combine and complement one another.
Beyond food system: we need to think of food systems in cities not only as a source of producing food but also as a source of producing services to the people and to the environment. Thinking of a new definition of development where agriculture and food can no longer be reduced to simply producing and consuming nutrients. HOW food is produced, traded and consumed is as important as what is produced and consumed. The challenge is less about feeding cities, after all, urban agriculture has a limited production potential, than about reintroducing nature and agriculture into the heart of the city, while simultaneously rebuilding social ties between people and preserving the environment. The symbolic dimension should not be ignored. I believe urban agriculture has aims other than food security, including social cohesion, education, capitalizing on the immaterial and intangible traditional cultivation…
Intangible knowledge of traditional cultivation/food techniques in urban areas: this includes capitalizing on practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities recognize as part of their food cultural heritage. In the preindustrial era, urban layouts were heavily shaped by food, as witnessed by the city center locations of sites such as markets and slaughterhouses. Urbanization pushed food and farming out of the city, engendering a progressive distancing between cities and their food. This distancing encompasses many forms, at once geographical, economic, cognitive and political. It is high time to introduce the reappropriation of food policies by urban actors to create harmony and cohesion, value the immaterial heritage beyond food security. Immigrants have had a big effect on the food and culinary scene of host cities, making them more vibrant and full of different kinds of food. People who moved to the city from all over the world took their food traditions, flavors, and cooking methods with them. This changed many cities food culture and made them global culinary spaces.
The market : one of the rare places where city and food come together. It is worth examining how markets continue to have a place in the urban areas bridging the gap between rural and urban spaces and shed light on this gap which is very relative though. This distancing between food and people is not taking place at the same pace in all parts of the world. In some cities, particularly in developing countries, the boundaries between urban and rural, producer and consumer, are almost non-existent. In Africa where I come from and in some Asian cities, people grow food, grind seeds, dry food and street-sellers cook in front of their customers and serve them directly ...In some developped countries, immigrants brought back their original food culture and this notion of street food to host countries. The best illustration is the street food booths in Manhattan in the heart of New York.

Some successful interventions in urban and peri-urban food systems :

Some cities have pioneered this drive to reconnect with their food.

Toronto has been trialing innovative urban food policies since the early 1990s, setting up the Toronto Food Policy Council to represent views from all areas of the food sector. This led to the expansion of community gardens on vacant lots in districts that had been identified as food deserts. Today, over 300 North American cities have a Food Policy Council.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil’s third city and the capital of Mina Gerais state, has also been extremely proactive in terms of its food policy. Two municipal bodies dedicated to food security were set up during the 1990s: the Municipal Supply Secretariat (SMAB) and the Municipal Council for Food Security and Nutrition (COMUSAN). The aim was to supply the city with healthy farm produce in a win-win relationship. On the one hand, the city’s poor gained access to good quality food. On the other hand, rural and peri-urban farmers, who struggled to find buyers for their produce, had access to a larger market.
Havana is one of the rare cities to have developed an urban agriculture model that is focused on food self-sufficiency. In the early 1990s, Cuba authorities decided to revise the food production system with the primary aim of being able to keep the capital supplied with food. Vacant open areas in Havana were transformed into kitchen gardens.

trends/variables/elements identified in the draft report the key ones to strengthen urban and peri-urban food systems? If not, which other elements should be considered?

I would suggest adding two focuses:

the role of farming extension in urban Farming systems: farming recommendations that are usually applied in rural areas cannot easily be fully implemented in urban areas. The success of an agricultural development is also determined by the role of agricultural extension agents too and the way they manage the technology transfer.
Promoting research and education in urban agriculture Urban AG is complex, diverse and dynamic and universities must contribute to exploring and testing sustainable solutions along with all the stakeholders. There is need for innovative research and extension partnerships to support the "urban farmers". Moreover, there is need for value creation of urban agriculture products, holistic urban planning partnerships, one health approaches for soil, water, energy and all the agro-ecological systems. Urban AG needs to be supported by innovative, applied research and transdisciplinary researchers. Universities can play a key role in bridging this gap and creating value through applied research in a transdisciplinary approach.

I wish you every success in your endeavours and I am very grateful to have been associated with giving feedback about this insightful work.

Jamila Adani-EMBA

Director Farming Development

OCP Group/UM6P/Al Moutmir -Morocco

This member contributed to:

Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation – V0 draft of the HLPE-FSN report #19

Consultation
06.12.2023 - 26.01.2024
- Ms. Jamila Adani
  
  UM6P
  
  Morocco
  
  09.01.2024
  Congratulations for this first draft. It is very rich and insightful !
  
  This topic is so complexe that when reading this first draft, I kept questionning myself about some concepts that would enrich the existing framework:
  
  Reinventing the notion of space : are we sure there are two spaces : rural and urban ? the complexity of interactions along food value chains, from rural or peri-urban areas to final consumers in cities, requires an integrated approach that goes beyond the dichotomy « urban » and « rural ». We should move from a unique urban or rural approach to a broader perspective that includes and displays the heterogeneity and also the interconnectivity of the territories and spaces that cover the different links of the agri-food system. To facilitate decision making, I believe we should be able to think beyond the « existing borders » and consider how they merge as a third space, a new “rurbanity” where rural and urban spaces combine and complement one another.
  
  Beyond food system: we need to think of food systems in cities not only as a source of producing food but also as a source of producing services to the people and to the environment. Thinking of a new definition of development where agriculture and food can no longer be reduced to simply producing and consuming nutrients. HOW food is produced, traded and consumed is as important as what is produced and consumed. The challenge is less about feeding cities, after all, urban agriculture has a limited production potential, than about reintroducing nature and agriculture into the heart of the city, while simultaneously rebuilding social ties between people and preserving the environment. The symbolic dimension should not be ignored. I believe urban agriculture has aims other than food security, including social cohesion, education, capitalizing on the immaterial and intangible traditional cultivation…
  
  Intangible knowledge of traditional cultivation/food techniques in urban areas: this includes capitalizing on practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities recognize as part of their food cultural heritage. In the preindustrial era, urban layouts were heavily shaped by food, as witnessed by the city center locations of sites such as markets and slaughterhouses. Urbanization pushed food and farming out of the city, engendering a progressive distancing between cities and their food. This distancing encompasses many forms, at once geographical, economic, cognitive and political. It is high time to introduce the reappropriation of food policies by urban actors to create harmony and cohesion, value the immaterial heritage beyond food security. Immigrants have had a big effect on the food and culinary scene of host cities, making them more vibrant and full of different kinds of food. People who moved to the city from all over the world took their food traditions, flavors, and cooking methods with them. This changed many cities food culture and made them global culinary spaces.
  
  The market : one of the rare places where city and food come together. It is worth examining how markets continue to have a place in the urban areas bridging the gap between rural and urban spaces and shed light on this gap which is very relative though. This distancing between food and people is not taking place at the same pace in all parts of the world. In some cities, particularly in developing countries, the boundaries between urban and rural, producer and consumer, are almost non-existent. In Africa where I come from and in some Asian cities, people grow food, grind seeds, dry food and street-sellers cook in front of their customers and serve them directly ...In some developped countries, immigrants brought back their original food culture and this notion of street food to host countries. The best illustration is the street food booths in Manhattan in the heart of New York.
  
  Some successful interventions in urban and peri-urban food systems :
  
  Some cities have pioneered this drive to reconnect with their food.
  
  Toronto has been trialing innovative urban food policies since the early 1990s, setting up the Toronto Food Policy Council to represent views from all areas of the food sector. This led to the expansion of community gardens on vacant lots in districts that had been identified as food deserts. Today, over 300 North American cities have a Food Policy Council.
  
  Belo Horizonte, Brazil’s third city and the capital of Mina Gerais state, has also been extremely proactive in terms of its food policy. Two municipal bodies dedicated to food security were set up during the 1990s: the Municipal Supply Secretariat (SMAB) and the Municipal Council for Food Security and Nutrition (COMUSAN). The aim was to supply the city with healthy farm produce in a win-win relationship. On the one hand, the city’s poor gained access to good quality food. On the other hand, rural and peri-urban farmers, who struggled to find buyers for their produce, had access to a larger market.
  
  Havana is one of the rare cities to have developed an urban agriculture model that is focused on food self-sufficiency. In the early 1990s, Cuba authorities decided to revise the food production system with the primary aim of being able to keep the capital supplied with food. Vacant open areas in Havana were transformed into kitchen gardens.
  
  trends/variables/elements identified in the draft report the key ones to strengthen urban and peri-urban food systems? If not, which other elements should be considered?
  
  I would suggest adding two focuses:
  
  the role of farming extension in urban Farming systems: farming recommendations that are usually applied in rural areas cannot easily be fully implemented in urban areas. The success of an agricultural development is also determined by the role of agricultural extension agents too and the way they manage the technology transfer.
  
  Promoting research and education in urban agriculture Urban AG is complex, diverse and dynamic and universities must contribute to exploring and testing sustainable solutions along with all the stakeholders. There is need for innovative research and extension partnerships to support the "urban farmers". Moreover, there is need for value creation of urban agriculture products, holistic urban planning partnerships, one health approaches for soil, water, energy and all the agro-ecological systems. Urban AG needs to be supported by innovative, applied research and transdisciplinary researchers. Universities can play a key role in bridging this gap and creating value through applied research in a transdisciplinary approach.
  
  I wish you every success in your endeavours and I am very grateful to have been associated with giving feedback about this insightful work.
  
  Jamila Adani-EMBA
  
  Director Farming Development
  
  OCP Group/UM6P/Al Moutmir -Morocco
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Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Ms. Jamila Adani

This member contributed to:

Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation – V0 draft of the HLPE-FSN report #19

Ms. Jamila Adani

Jamila Adani-EMBA

Director Farming Development

OCP Group/UM6P/Al Moutmir -Morocco