Pathways towards resilient urban food systems

Claereboudt, E., Alonso, S., Awinoh, M., Halliday, J., Lenci, L., et al. 2024. Pathways towards resilient urban food systems. Urban Agriculture Magazine 40.

Food systems are facing unprecedented challenges from multiple shocks and stresses, including climate events, pandemics, geopolitical events, and economic crises. People, assets and infrastructures throughout supply chains are vulnerable to the impacts, and the consequences for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and economic development, and social equity can be dramatic.

In most places food systems are not yet on the policy agenda, let alone viewed as a component of urban resilience and disaster risk reduction. It is critical to harness the experiences of cities and city regions that are prioritising food systems resilience, to support knowledge transfer and co-learning over what actions can help build resilience, and how they can be put in different contexts.

This issue of Urban Agriculture Magazine showcases innovative approaches, actions, and initiatives for strengthening all aspects of urban and city region food systems. The articles are drawn from across research priorities of the Resilient Cities initiative and supplemented by selected experiences from RUAF Global Partnership and other strategically-aligned organisations.