2021 - Priorities for inclusive urban food transformations in the global South

As a side event to the Science Days for the UN Food Systems Summit in New York in September, CIRAD and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science organized a round table on the priorities for inclusive transformation of food systems in the global South.

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The event, in collaboration with the RUAF Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems, Michigan State University and the Unesco Chair on World Food Systems will bring together academics and operators working on urban food systems in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Urban development is at the origin of many changes including modified dietary patterns, women’s involvement in economic life, changes in employment, etc. Urban food systems are those linked to cities by material and human flows. The scientific brief written for the UNFSS: Priorities for inclusive transformations of urban food systems in the global South, proposes a classification of urban food systems in six types. During the event, the multiple nutritional, economic, social and environmental challenges of food systems in Africa, Asia and Latin America brought about by urbanisation will be discussed. The participants will analyse how existing food systems respond differently to these challenges. For example, they will discuss how micro and SMEs, supermarkets, e-commerce and farmer organizations address these challenges beyond simplification or opposition. Finally, the participants will discuss recommendations for public and private decision-makers and donors, targeting different types of stakeholders, to improve the responsiveness of urban food systems. The session will bring together academics and practitioners working on urban food systems in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Programme

• Introduction: Dao The Anh, vice-president of Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science, co-author of the research brief, facilitator of the event

• Accounting for the diversity of urban food systems: Patrick Caron, Cirad, University of Montpellier, former president of HLPE-CFS, co-author of the research brief

• The role of MSMEs in inclusive urban food system transformations: Paule Moustier, Cirad, Head of MoISA, first author of the research brief

• Synergies between SMEs, supermarkets and e-commerce in low and middle countries: Professor Thomas Reardon, Michigan State University

• Inclusive innovations to meet urban food consumer demand in Burkina Faso: Charlotte Yaméogo, Institut de recherche en sciences appliquées et technologies, Ouagadougou

• Collaboration between Quito municipality and farmer groups for an inclusive food system: Alexandra Rodriguez, responsible for the Participatory Urban Agriculture Project, Quito municipality

• Open discussion

• Concluding remarks: Dao The Anh

Contacts :
– Paule Moustier, Montpellier, France
– Dao The Anh, Hanoi, Vietnam