ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO released a list on Tuesday (26/04) of cities selected for the project “Multi-stakeholder Dialogues on Urban Food Systems in the Global South (Africa and Latin America)”. In total, 11 cities from Africa and 10 cities from Latin America were selected. All of them have up to 1 million inhabitants and are committed to developing public policies related to food systems.

Africa:

• Kenya: Kisumu, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru;
• Senegal: Bambilor, Dakar, Kaffrine, Koungheul;
• South Africa: Gauteng (Johannesburg), KwaZulu Natal (Durban) and Western Cape (Cape Town).

Latin America

• Argentina: Godoy Cruz, Perez, Rosario;
• Brazil: Barcarena, Maricá, Niterói;
• Colombia The Star, Rionegro, Sabaneta;
• Ecuador Cuenca.
  

About the project 

The objective of the project is to promote technical exchange and the sharing of experiences between urban food systems through multi-stakeholder dialogues. The selected cities will form a network to improve public policies aimed at sustainable, circular, fair, and resilient food systems.

 The project activities will take place throughout 2022 with the 21 selected cities. Among the proposed actions are two webinars that provide for the exchange of experiences and two virtual meetings on urban food systems, among other activities.

The key outcomes of the commitments will form part of a strategy document aimed at “bridging the gaps in national and local food governance and policy”, as well as “Strategies to support countries and cities in implementing national food system pathways”. These experiences will also be taken to upcoming regional or global events, such as the #AfricanCITYFOODMonth campaign in July, the Milan Pact Conference in Rio de Janeiro in October, and Climate COP27, which is due to take place in Egypt in November.

Cibele Carneiro