Cities are facing multiple interrelated crises, from rising urban temperatures and environmental degradation to growing public health challenges as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increase. Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) can help address these challenges, but only when it is designed and supported through a systems approach that recognises its contribution to multiple outcomes, including food and nutrition security, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, livelihoods and community wellbeing.
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This continues to raise practical questions such as how can national and local governments design policies and governance processes that enable UPA to deliver these multiple benefits? What specific mechanisms can help? And what is needed to create an enabling environment for a more systemic approach to UPA?
To help answer these questions, Rikolto and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have published lessons learned report: Integrating a systems approach into urban and peri-urban agriculture. The report was developed with the support of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme.
The publication builds on a process that identified common policy gaps across four cities: Arusha (Tanzania), Hanoi (Vietnam), Kampala (Uganda) and Surakarta (Indonesia). From those shared gaps, the report draws lessons for a more systemic approach to UPA policies and initiatives.
The report brings together three things:
The report includes separate recommendations for the local and the national level, aimed at local governments as well as agriculture and planning ministries and national assemblies. We also hope the report will be useful to anyone working towards sustainable urban and peri-urban agriculture.
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"Urban and peri-urban agriculture cannot address every urban challenge on its own, but it can be an important piece of the puzzle. Together with UNEP, local governments and partners at local and national level, we have analysed the policy gaps that hold it back. The lessons and recommendations in this report are meant to help decisionmakers and practitioners prioritise key actions to close the gaps."
Do you have questions or would you like to explore a collaboration? Get in touch with Charlotte Flechet, Global Programme Director of Rikolto's Good Food for Cities programme.
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This publication was prepared with financial support from UNEP and the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG).
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