A new menu? Bringing stakeholders to the table for urban agrifood systems transformation
From 9 to 11 September 2024, over 100 participants from five continents gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome for the Urban Agrifood Systems Global Workshop, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. For three days, the room was transformed into a vibrant marketplace of ideas, where attendees were not just participants but co-creators.
This first-of-its-kind event broke from the typical conference format—no passive listening to presentations, but rather dynamic, interactive working groups. Participants from local and national governments, UN agencies, academia, development agencies, city networks, and NGOs came together to share insights and chart a collective path forward. These diverse groups of stakeholders—specializing not only in food but also in health and environmental issues gathered to discuss strategies for transforming urban agrifood systems and to agree on a course of action, laying the groundwork for the co-creation of a five-year Roadmap with concrete modalities, roles, and actions across different groups and regions.
The recipe for transformation? A shared vision, knowledge co-creation, and collective action. What set this workshop apart was the frankness and transparency of its innovative approach, which encouraged participants to engage in direct, action-oriented conversations that were both constructive and impactful.
Setting the stage toward a collective vision
On the first day, participants also had the opportunity to journey through Rome’s ancient food system and to taste regional food products at the Mercato di Campagna Amica, Rome’s largest farmers market, fostering connections and building new relationships. Following this physical exploration, participants spent the next two days engaging in facilitated discussions to tackle key challenges for transforming urban agrifood systems, identified through a pre-workshop survey.
Main discussions focused on mobilizing finance for urban agrifood systems initiatives; fostering common direction and policy coordination across all levels of governments; securing political awareness; ensuring just and inclusive urban agri food systems governance; engaging the private sector; building capacity in local governments for effective urban agrifood policy and planning; achieving cross sector engagement; and sustaining urban agrifood systems innovations beyond project timeframes.
Placing agrifood systems at the center
Agrifood systems lie at the heart of the most pressing global challenges, both driving and being shaped by them. By placing agrifood systems at the forefront of policy and action, we can better understand and catalyze meaningful systemic change. As Charlotte Flechet, Global Programme Director of the UK-based NGO Rikolto, rightly stated, “This is our greatest challenge and, at the same time, our greatest opportunity.”
“Leveraging the agrifood systems agenda accelerates progress on multiple fronts,” explained Juliana Tangari, Director of the Comida do Amanhã Institute, a Brazilian NGO. “It’s not just about ensuring healthy food for all; it also addresses social, economic, and environmental challenges. This agenda covers interconnected issues like nutrition and wellbeing, agriculture, waste, climate change and how we adapt to it, and even policy shifts with government changes.”
Participants emphasized that transforming agrifood systems offers cities a powerful tool for addressing multiple local challenges. Urban areas are increasingly recognizing that a holistic approach to food can deliver a range of co-benefits—from ensuring access to healthy food for all residents to tackling economic disparities, enhancing social inclusion, and mitigating environmental impacts.
“Before we were introduced to the food systems concept in 2019, we often worked independently and in silos,” explained Erick Ogadho, Food Systems Focal Point and Value Chain Development Officer for Kisumu County, Kenya. “But since adopting the food systems approach, we’ve achieved greater cohesion across sectors, which led us to develop the Kisumu County Food System Strategy.” Through this strategy, the county is bringing together informal market actors and producer groups to address the current food production levels. “We are not yet able to meet market demands,” remarked Mr Ogadho.
In Bogotá, Colombia, the agenda for agrifood systems is undertaken using cross-sector strategies. “Our region’s agrifood system relies heavily on water—not only for human consumption but also for agriculture and agro-industrial production. Additionally, we’re focusing on transportation and logistics as key parts of the agrifood chain. These elements are being integrated into what will become the official agrifood system plan for the metropolitan region,” explained Diego Díaz del Castillo, Subdirector of Projects, Bogota Metropolitan Region.
Since 2021, Austin, Texas, has been developing its first Food Plan. “Our vision is an inclusive food system that ensures everyone has access to sufficient food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for net zero by 2040,” said Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager at the Austin City Council.
“We don’t have the software or capacity skills to track production, sales, or trade flows in and out of the city, which limits our ability to attract investors,” shared Halima Namubiru, Principal Agriculture Officer for Mbale City. She continued, “If someone asked me how many tons of tomatoes Mbale produces, I wouldn’t have that data at my fingertips.” As Mbale transitions from its rural background, setting an urban agrifood system agenda has been challenging, mainly due to the lack of data monitoring tools.
Ms Namubiru added, “Food safety is also a concern. If we had labs to analyze incoming food, we could tap into international markets and improve access to our farmers’ products. That’s why we need the knowledge sharing of all stakeholders to help us in this endeavor.”
It’s imperative to team up and coordinate efforts across sectors
The Global Workshop emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among policymakers, businesses, civil society, NGOs, and academia to tackle food system challenges.
At the national level, governments play a critical role in setting the framework and policies that guide sustainable agrifood practices, ensuring alignment with international commitments, and fostering coordination between regions, cities, and communities.
“There is a clear momentum and interest by countries in boosting collaboration and overcoming fragmentation. Italy, therefore, reiterates its support for advancing sustainable agrifood systems by enhancing cooperation across sectors,” asserted Laura Aghilarre, Deputy Director General for Development Cooperation, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
“Addressing these complex issues requires a systemic, multilevel approach considering economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Therefore, multi-stakeholder collaboration is an essential pillar to support a sustainable urban agrifood system transformation,” said Bruna Pitasi Arguelhes, Technical Analyst of Social Policies and Support Coordinator, General Coordination of Healthy Eating Promotion, Brazilian Ministry of Social Development.
Priscilla Muiruri, Technical Advisor for Food Systems at the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, added, “We need to strengthen collaboration between food systems actors across all levels of government and society so that we ensure that the respective stakeholders carry out their mandate and their role to ensure that the citizens have quality food in the right quantity.”
Views from international organizations like UN-Habitat underscore the importance of cross-level coordination. “At UN-Habitat, we have noted that we need to work closer, not only coordinating at the national level but also subnational level, particularly in cities where we all have operations,” remarked Remy Sietchiping, Chief Policy, Legislation and Governance Section, UN-Habitat. “This is a tangible outcome that wouldn’t have happened without this Global Workshop,” he concluded.
From the academic perspective, Jane Battersby, Urban Food Systems Researcher at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and lead author of the new report on urban and peri-urban food systems by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN), emphasized that academia is responsible for producing data and translating it into stories, materials, and useful resources. “But it also provides a unique neutrality, allowing it to voice hard truths and address sensitive issues within food systems. Furthermore, academia serves as an institutional memory; while officials and policymakers may come and go, academic institutions remain, reminding stakeholders what they’ve committed to and where the pathways are so we don’t end up replicating what’s been done before,” stated Ms Battersby.
Charting a roadmap for a global urban agrifood system community
Building on strong structures already in place, the workshop encouraged in-person engagement to strengthen relationships, fostering a sense of unity and purpose. While FAO and ICLEI co-convened the event, they emphasized their role as facilitators rather than leaders, urging participants to take ownership of the agenda. A key next step will be to agree on a course of action to co-create the five-year roadmap for an effective transformation of urban agrifood systems.
“The global urban agrifood system community has very strong foundations, thanks to the very hard work of many municipal governments, NGOs, and visionary leaders like the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, which placed international cooperation at the core of this community. But we can do so much more to address climate change, malnutrition, and food insecurity and ensure resilience and equity if we unite the separate parts of the puzzle. We can be more efficient and coordinated, and only through collaboration and further strengthening international cooperation can we reach these goals. This is the most effective way forward,” said Corinna Hawkes, Director of Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO.
“This extraordinary Global Workshop paves the way for an exciting 5-year journey on urban agrifood system transformation. I am looking forward to delivering on our vision with all the different actors and city networks. As ICLEI CityFood, we fully support FAO’s endeavor to bring us all together, and we strongly believe in the multiple co-benefits that urban agrifood systems can bring to health, climate and nature,” emphasized Peter Defranceschi, Head of Brussels Office & Global CityFood Program Coordinator, ICLEI.
As we look forward, the path is clear: The global agrifood systems community must build on existing progress, leverage their collective experience, and identify synergies and complementaries to reach their vision. By breaking down silos and encouraging cross-sector dialogue, the workshop laid the foundation for a more integrated and holistic approach to addressing the complex challenges of urban food systems.
This collaborative spirit isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. It’s the secret ingredient marking a significant step forward in the journey towards sustainable, resilient, and equitable urban agrifood systems for cities worldwide.
The three-day workshop featured in-depth, frank discussions where participants weren’t merely attendees; they were co-creators, bringing their successes, failures, and hard-won insights to the table. These discussions will be translated into tangible outcomes by unveiling the five-year Roadmap towards a reimagined urban agrifood system within cities and beyond.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll reveal the surprising insights and bold strategies that emerged from this unique convergence of expertise.
Check out the Workshop’s photo gallery here.
