Voices from the Cities within Multi-level Governance mechanisms
Inclusive and sustainable urban food systems and the role of cities and local governments within multi-level governance will be showcased at the forthcoming Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 25 April 2023 at 16:00 (GMT+7). “Cities and local governments accelerating cohesive and inclusive food systems transformation” is the title of the official side event co-organized by FAO, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Rikolto, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and the RUAF global partnership
In an increasingly urban and Anthropocene world, stressors are multiplied with significant impact on natural resources, food systems, government capacity and resources including budgets as well as on the health and wellbeing of communities due to associated shifts in nutrition towards less healthy diets. Presently, urban food systems are insufficiently considered in national policy frameworks, strategies, and implementation. City and local governments are often excluded from national food system and nutrition consultations and commitments. This poses a barrier to food systems transformation.
Multi-level governance is a vertical ‘’best practice’’ mechanism linking different levels of government, for the purposes of achieving effective, efficient, and inclusive just food systems transformation. It has further advantages associated with cost-benefit efficiencies, resilience and locally ‘’owned’’ sustainability. Where cities are widely recognised as critical to realising the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Urban Food Systems and Multi-level Governance workshop is part of an initiative aimed at developing actionable guidelines and recommendations that can support countries endeavours regards, context attentive, food systems and nutrition policy coherency and coordination. It will be an opportunity for city voices to be heard and for representatives from national government and other government and non-government actors to critically engage on multi-level governance guidelines and recommendations (under development). It will also be an opportunity to learn of and contribute to the growing repository of best practices, as showcased through the lens of various entry points like food waste management and urban and peri-urban agriculture.
Through the process that led up to, during and beyond the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), including the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit, successive CFS events and forthcoming UNFSS Stocktaking, urban food systems have entered the world stage as a key lever in accelerating food systems transformation and advancing access to safe, healthy diets, with the potential to reach large numbers of communities. The Urban Food Systems Working group, co-led by FAO and GAIN, comprises several UN bodies, city networks, development organizations, academic and other experts, including the co-organisers of this workshop. This group has been instrumental in raising the voice of cities and establishing the UNFSS Coalition on Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Food Systems (see: https://ufs-coalition.org/ ).