Towards resilient city region food systems

Research to resilience: Climate-smart solutions to enhance ecosystem health and strengthen food, nutrition and water security for all

Climate change, dietary shifts and rapid urban population growth mean that improving the resilience and sustainability of city region food systems is now more important than ever.

‘Towards resilient city region food systems’ gave experts from around the world the opportunity to share findings and insights into this increasingly urgent topic. The third in WLE’s ‘Research to resilience’ series of webinars, this hour-long session focused on two tools developed by WLE, the RUAF Global Partnership and partners:

• The City Region Food System Toolkit, used to inform decision making and action planning, and which has recently been updated with new methodologies and training materials to enhance resilience to pandemics and climate shocks
• An urban food monitoring framework, which provides users with 44 quantitative and qualitative indicators to assist the implementation of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

Over the course of four presentations and a panel discussion, moderated by RUAF’s Dr René van Veenhuizen, speakers discussed the importance of these tools for city region food systems, lessons learned that could inform their implementation, and how these tools can remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Speakers and Panelists

Opening remarks

Dr Pay Drechsel, Co-Leader of Sustaining Rural-Urban Linkages research theme, WLE (IWMI)

Presentations

• Dr Jess Halliday, Senior Programme Officer, RUAF Global Partnership 
• Dr Philip Amoah, Researcher, IWMI-Ghana
• Ms Joy Carey, Independent Sustainable Food Systems Planning Consultant & RUAF Associate
• Ms Alexandra Rodríguez Dueñas, Agricultural Engineer & Manager, Participatory Urban Agriculture Project

Panellists

• Mr Guido Santini, Technical Coordinator, City Region Food Systems Programme and Green Cities Initiative, FAO
• Mr Tokiana Rakotonirainy, Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) Cities Council & Commune Urbaine d'Antananarivo

Moderator

Dr René van Veenhuizen, Co-Leader of Sustaining Rural-Urban Linkages research theme, WLE (RUAF)

Closing remarks

Dr Stefan Uhlenbrook, Program Director, WLE (IWMI)

Presentations

Introduction (Pay Drechsel, WLE/IMWI)

City Region Food System Program (Jess Halliday, RUAF)

Findings from Tamale and ongoing action planning (Philip Amoah, IWMI Ghana)

Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Monitoring Framework (Joy Carey, RUAF)

CRFS and MUFPP indicators in Quito, Ecuador (Alexandra Rodríguez, Participatory Urban Agriculture Project)

Resources

• City Region Food System Toolkit
• Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Monitoring Framework

View the full 'From Research to Resilience' webinar series