Sustainable and resilient city-region food systems

Food systems are a principal determining factor of the hunger, poverty and unemployment rates in our communities, as well as the status of our environmental resource management. Our food systems also provide a vital link between cities and rural communities. In this context, we explore the considerable leverage local and regional governments have over facets of a city-region food system, from nutrition and health to economic development to land use and resource management.

 

This thematic track will consider sustainable city-region food systems as an urban transition strategy, how multi-scale food policy and governance mechanisms enhance food systems, and finally, a range of approaches to meeting nutrition challenges in urban areas.

 

The ICLEI-RUAF CITYFOOD Network aims to accelerate local and regional government action on sustainable and resilient city-region food systems by combining networking with training, policy guidance and technical expertise. CITYFOOD is open to local and regional governments, whether they are engaging with the issue for the first time or working to implement the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and at the frontier of innovative food systems work by integrating food in a cohesive manner across different thematic departments, or maximizing its potential in service of their constituencies.