Food for the cities programme

Criteria to define CRFS boundaries

Criteria to help identify and spatially define and map the city region could include:

  • Boundaries taking into account existing administrative boundaries currently used in censuses or academic research and/or for planning purposes. These can include metropolitan regions, provincial boundaries or others;
  • Jurisdictional boundaries used for governance and the respective roles and responsibilities in terms of decision making;
  • Natural boundaries and physical features: rivers, sea, mountain ridges, watersheds;
  • Foodsheds and sources of food consumed in the city;
  • Future urban growth, development, land use and new policy processes (e.g. planning of new administrative regions);
  • Population density in the city and the surrounding peri-urban and rural areas;
  • Influence of the city on the region and influence of the region on the city and degree of rural-urban linkages. Physical interactions, food and waste flows, or social/cultural interactions can be looked at;
  • Presence of food industries (processing, distribution, waste management, food hubs)  in the region. Transport distance and mode to/from the city and ease/sustainability of transport to/from the city;
  • Production areas around the city and production potential/capacity in relation to the city region's food demand (for at least fresh products), enclosed production areas like orchards or vegetables including both existing production areas or vacant areas that could be converted to food production for the city;
  • Data and information availability.
Quito urban and periurban food production