The Brussels Development Briefing no. 50 on “Growing food in the cities: Successes and new opportunities” took place on 10 April 2018 from 09h00 to 13h00, ACP Secretariat, Brussels 451 Avenue Georges Henri, 1200 Brussels. This Briefing was organised by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the European Commission / DEVCO, the ACP Secretariat, and CONCORD.

1. What do we know about urban agriculture?
Ir. Henk de Zeeuw
RUAF Foundation - Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban
Agriculture and City Region Food Systems
Presentation at the Policy Briefing “Growing food in the cities: Successes
and new opportunities”, organized by CTA, European Commission, the ACP
group and other partners, 10th April 2018, Brussels

2. I. Urban agriculture?
 Agriculture within the
city (intra-urban) and in
the peri-urban area: UPA
 On agricultural land as
well as on hard surfaces,
rooftops and indoors
 From micro/low tech to
larger scale/high tech

3. • Socially oriented
initiatives as well as
commercial enterprises
(and mixed forms)
• Production as well as
local processing,
distribution and food
waste management
• Producing food as well
as providing social and
ecological services

4. II. Prevalence of UPA
 Population involved in UPA (various surveys 2006-2013):
- 21 cities in West Africa: 20-80% of urban households
- 5 cities/towns in East-Africa: 30 - 90 % of urban h.h’s
- 11 cities in 9 SADC countries: 22% of poor urban h.h.’s
Hence: at least 20-30% of population involved in UPA
 Land used by UPA (IWMI 2014):
- The global area of urban crop lands is estimated at about
11.0 % of all irrigated croplands and 4.7 % of all rainfed
croplands
- Within 20 km of urban boundaries this is 60 % and 35 %
respectively

5. III. Can urban agriculture play a role in
answering key urban challenges?
 Growing food insecurity and
malnutrition in cities
 Growing urban poverty and
social exclusion
 Increasing impacts of climate
change on cities and
population
 Growing fresh water scarcity
 Growing waste management
problems

6. A. UPA, urban food security and nutrition
 UPA is very important in the city
supply of fresh, nutritious food
especially: green vegetables, milk,
eggs, poultry meat and pork (link)
 UPA contributes 5 - 15% of total
urban food consumption (FAO,
2010)
 UPA enhances the access of the
urban poor to affordable and
nutritious food and improves their
dietary quality (IFPRI 2017)
 UPA reduces the vulnerability of
the city to problems in the supply
of food from rural areas (e.g.
droughts, floods) and imports (e.g.
damaged infrastructure, price hikes)

7. B. UPA, jobs and income generation
B1. Jobs and income generated in UPA production:
 Over 30% of urban population in 4 cities in Africa earn 26-70 %
of their income in UPA (FAO 2010)
 Incomes from peri-urban horticulture are in general above
minimum wage level (link)
 World bank (2011): peri-urban horticulture and dairy are
amongst the fastest growing economic sectors in Africa

8. B2. Jobs and income in
food related enterprises
(compost production, transport,
food processing, marketing)
 Each 1 $ in urban and peri-
urban food production
generates $ 1.4 - 2.6 income
(and jobs) in food related
enterprises in the city region
(multiplier effect)

9. C1. Urban agriculture helps to reduce
urban GHG emissions
 By producing fresh food close to
the city (hence less energy use in
transport, cooling, packaging of
food (Almere)
 By enhancing vegetation cover and
green roofs: less energy required
for cooling; more CO2 captured
(Durban; Kesbewa)
 By using composted urban organic
wastes in agriculture: less methane
emissions from landfills and less
energy use for production and
transport of fertilizers (Dhaka)
C. UPA and the urban environment

10. C2. UPA helps to reduce the
impacts of climate change by:
 Reducing runoff and enhance
storage & infiltration of excess
storm water (New York)
 Keeping low lying zones free
from construction so that floods
have less impact and land slides
are prevented (Freetown)
 (Agro-)forestry on steep slopes
helps to reduce erosion and
prevent land slides (Lima)

11. C3. UPA helps to reduce the
pressure on fresh water sources
by reusing urban wastewater
(Amman)
C4. Cleaning of contaminated
water and land
• Wetlands in/around the city
can purify urban (waste-)
water streams through bio-
filtration (Kampala)
• Urban (agro-)forestry can bio-
remediate polluted urban
areas (Hazelwood)

12. D. UPA and social development
 Social inclusion of vulnerable
groups
 Community development
 Food as part of culture and
identity of different socio-cultural
groups.
 Green spaces for recreation

13. IV. What cities can do: some lessons learnt

14. 1. Create an enabling policy
environment
 Create an institutional home for UPA:
a coordinating department; an
Interdepartmental Working Group
 Establish a Multi-stakeholder Forum
on Urban Food & Agriculture to involve
key actors in the planning process
(formal & informal)
 Mapping & analysis of the agri-food
system in the city region
 Develop a shared vision on the desired
development of the local food system
 Define a multi-annual action plan with
feasible & cost effective strategies
 Remove ungrounded legal limitations
on UPA

15. 2. Enhance access to land for UPA
 Recognize UPA as a legitimate urban land use
 Develop a spatial vision on urban agriculture:
which types of UPA to promote where in and
around the city (Nairobi); Integrate UPA into
master- and , land use plans (Dar es Salaam)
 Protect prime agricultural and agro-ecological
land within and around the city against
encroachment (Antananarivo)
 Map vacant open spaces for UPA (Quito)
 Lease of vacant municipal land (Lima)
 Reuse of abandoned factories (Amsterdam)
 Include space for UPA in social housing or slum
upgrading projects (Kampala, Colombo)

16. 3. Enhance the productive and
economic viability of UPA
 Stimulate organization of urban farmers
(Lima) and provide training (Cape Town)
 Enhance UPA producers’ access to water,
seed, compost, tools, (Bulawayo) and
enhance their access to credit (Rosario)
 Facilitate direct marketing (Belo
Horizonte) and provide facilities and
licenses for farmers’ markets (Brasilia FD)
 Support SME start ups in food processing
and marketing (Minneapolis)
 Preferential food procurement by city
agencies (Malmo)
 Support research into appropriate
technologies for UPA (Havana)

17. 4. Stimulate resource recovery and
recycling
 Recovery of nutrients from organic
wastes (Accra) and urine
(Kathmandu) to replace chemical
fertilizers
 Recovery of methane from landfills
to generate energy and heat for
greenhouses (Washington)
 Use in UPA of excess heat, CO2,
cooling water and by-products from
industry and other urban sources
(Amsterdam)
 Collection of storm water from
surrounding roofs for use in UPA

18. 5. Reduce health and environmental
risks associated with UPA
 Improved coordination between
health, agricultural and
environmental departments
(Phnom Penh)
 Adequate zoning of urban
agriculture (Freetown)
 Education of farmers, food vendors
and consumers re. safe forms of
food production, handling &
preparation (Bangkok, Accra)
 Preventing land-/water- pollution by
industry; separation of waste
/wastewater streams; pollution
control (Hanoi)

19. V. You don’t walk alone
 Wide recognition that
agriculture is crucial part
of the urban policy
agenda and a means to
various policy objectives
e.g. UN New Urban
Agenda 2016
 There is already a wealth
of experiences to learn
from: approaches, tools,
policies, monitoring
frameworks, training
opportunities

20.  The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFP): a
global Framework for Action signed by 165
Mayors committed to make urban food
systems sustainable and to guarantee food for
all. www.foodpolicymilano.org
 FAO Food for the Cities programme: supports
countries/cities to improve the urban food
system www.fao.org/in-action/food-for-cities-
programme
 ICLEI-RUAF CITYFOOD is a network of –so far-
17 cities and regions that share their
experiences on building resilient urban food
systems and obtain –on demand- technical
support from RUAF and ICLEI.
http://www.ruaf.org/cityfood
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1348

21. RUAF Foundation
 www.RUAF.org
 Urban Agriculture
Magazine
 Guidelines and Tools
 Research results
 Examples of policies on
UPA / city food system
 Local project
experiences (Gov.,
SME’s, NGO’s, Coop’s)

22. Thank you !
h.dezeeuw@ruaf.org
www.ruaf.org

23. City Vegetables Eggs Poultry
meat
Milk Pork
La Paz 30
Dakar 70-80 65-70
Dar Es
Salaam
90 60
Accra 90
Shanghai 60 90 50 90-100 50
Hanoi 0-75
(season)
40 50 50
% of urban consumption met by UPA
Data from surveys 2000-2008 link

24. City Monthly income generated (US$) in
peri-urban horticulture
Accra 40-50
Rosario 40-150
Brazzaville 140-170 (producers)
120 (food sellers)
Cameroon 70
Lagos 120
Ouagadougou 25-100
Yaoundé 35-70
Ho Chi Minh City 40-125
Yakarta 30-50
Data from surveys 2000-2008 link

25. VI. Some success factors
 City government acting as a catalyst/enabler of the development of
the local food system; Active multi-actor participation in planning
and implementation; Apply subsidiarity principle
 Early implementation
 No single best methodology: Recognize local specific conditions
 Innovative and multi-source financing of UPA projects
 Inclusion of UPA in sectoral policies & programmes
 Realistic annual planning, clear targets, effective monitoring

26. ECOLOGICAL (Healthy City) SOCIAL (Inclusive City)
Multi-functional
urban agriculture
 Reduction of GHG emissions
 Reuse of urban organic wastes &
wastewater
 Reduction of impacts of climate change
 Improved urban landscape,
microclimate and biodiversity
Subsistence oriented
urban agriculture
 Food security and nutrition
 Poverty alleviation and Social
inclusion
 Community building
 Relaxation / physical exercise
 Income generation
 Employment generation
 Enterprise development
 Market chain development
ECONOMIC (Productive City)
Market oriented urban agriculture
Three policy perspectives on UPA