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Parallel Event

Report of UNCHS-FAO Parallel Event on:
"Food for the Cities: Urbanization, Food Insecurity and Urban Management"
held on Wednesday, 6 June 2001,
Conference Room 3,
11:00 14:00p.m.

A. Introduction

(i) The event was coorganised by United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) initiative "Food Supply and Distribution to Cities" and UNCHS/Urban Economy Branch and the two Global Campaigns respectively on Secure Tenure and Good Urban Governance, in collaboration with the UNCHS/UNDP Urban Management Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean and the International Development Research Center, IDRC (Canada), with the participation of members of IULA.

(ii) The representatives two Agencies co-hosting the event expressed their satisfaction with the continued collaboration as initiated at the time of the Habitat II Conference (1996). The meeting was framed within the broader context of urban growth, poverty reduction , human settlements sustainability and food security and the need to enhance the role of city and local authorities to effectively address the issue of food security.

(iii) About fifty-five participants attended, among them representatives of other UN agencies such as IFAD, UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, etc., international research institutions, local authorities and local administrators, members of the press and representatives from departments of international cooperation, including Italy, France, etc.

B. Discussions

(i) Three presentations highlighted the following key issues:

a) Under the theme of Food Supply and Distribution to Cities:

  • the need to increase the efficiency of all the activities by which food is produced, brought to cities and distributed within the expanding urban areas, in order to improve the access of poor urban consumers to affordable and safe food supplies;
  • the important and essential role played by city and local authorities in collaboration with the private sector;
  • the formulation and implementation at regional, metropolitan, urban and local level of appropriate sound food supply and distribution policies, strategies and programmes.

b) As it refers to the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in urban food security and poverty eradication, the following issues were identified:

  • The role in urban food supply, nutrition, poverty reduction, employment;
  • The role of local and national authorities and policy, with UA becoming more prominent on the international agenda under an evolving approach from knowledge-driven to scientific expertise and capacity; and a recognition and initial management of the issue in Africa, Asia and Latin America;
  • The establishment of an emerging global information facility including research and training and dissemination of results;
  • The growing need for new expertise and capacity as well as for research for policy development in UA.

c) Current challenges for municipal management were identified as follows:

  • the impact of globalization, and decentralization;
  • land tenure; land use and planning, urban management in general, water and sanitation, waste management issues linked to health, environmental protection;
  • a need for a normative framework and advocacy activities with definition of the role of municipality and other actors and initial actions such as the Quito Declaration (2000) signed by more that 40 cities in Latin America.
  • all areas very much related to the two Campaigns respectively on Secure Tenure and Good Governance.

C. Conclusions

From the discussions emerged the following elements of a future strategy:

  • People living in poverty are relying on an efficient market economy in developing survival strategies;
  • Improved urban management (land, water, environment, etc.) is important;
  • The central role of local authorities is acknowledged in making market work; in providing services, in developing adequate land use and land tenure policy; · Globalization and WTO regulations/liberalization on global food market impact negatively on urban agriculture at local level;
  • There is a need for specific expertise and information to be made available particularly to the local authorities;
  • Strengthening the strategies developed by the poor and by women in particular is vital;
  • The two Campaigns respectively on Secure Tenure and Good Governance are relevant to address the above-identified issues;
  • A urban economic perspective should be further developed ; · The issue of Food Security for the Cities to be included in the Agenda of the forthcoming World Food Summit (November 2001) as a follow-up to the Istanbul +5 parallel event.

 

 

 
© 2001 UNCHS