FAO and Brazil strengthen the urban agrifood systems agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Brazil, represented by the National Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SESAN) of the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and the Fight Against Hunger (MDS), together with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), reaffirmed their commitment to advancing and strengthening urban agrifood systems in the region over the next two years.

The agreement outlines that, through 2025, technical dialogues will be promoted on urban and peri-urban agriculture, inclusive markets and food supply, governance of agrifood systems, and the role of subnational governments in the food agenda. It also includes exchanging experiences on Latin American open-air markets as cultural and historical heritage.

In addition, a series of studies will be conducted on food security in urban and peri-urban areas, the impacts of climate change on agrifood systems, and the financing of agrifood policies, among other topics. The aim is to share good practices and regional experiences that contribute to food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable populations in cities while promoting healthy food environments in urban territories.

To define the actions to be developed, representatives from the FAO Regional Office, FAO country offices in Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, and Peru, the MDS, and ABC met in Brasília as part of the project Strengthening the Regional Agrifood Systems Agenda for the Urban-Rural Continuum in Latin America and the Caribbean, an initiative under the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Program.

Lilian Rahal, Secretary for Food and Nutritional Security at the MDS, emphasized the challenge of addressing the urban food systems agenda and ensuring access to basic and healthy food: “We now face a new challenge: to look toward our cities and urban peripheries, where some of the most complex centers of hunger and poor nutrition are found.” The MDS’s Alimenta Cidades program is one of the main initiatives inspiring this project and will be shared with the region.

Joao Intini, FAO Food Systems Policy Officer, noted that the urban food agenda is an innovative topic: “This project represents an opportunity for FAO to act within the global urbanization process we are experiencing.”

Cecília Malaguti, General Coordinator of Trilateral Technical Cooperation with International Organizations at ABC, highlighted: “It was clearly identified how Brazil and the selected group of countries can develop actions to strengthen each other. This makes the project highly innovative.”

Project Regional Coordinator Ingrid Zabaleta emphasized that this initiative aims to improve the legal and institutional frameworks of the region’s countries, strengthen the work of regional networks that are rethinking the role of cities and food supply, and promote public policies, programs, and initiatives that support sustainable food production, supply, access, and consumption in urban areas.