WUF12: Innovative Financial Mechanisms to Support the Transformation of Urban Agrifood Systems

Join ICLEI, FAO and UN-HABITAT at the World Urban Forum - both in person in Cairo and online - to discuss innovative financial mechanisms  to ensure that urban agrifood systems are integrated within the urban development agenda.

Event description

As urban populations continue to expand, the challenges of ensuring food security and improved nutrition, as well as biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental sustainability across the urban and rural areas are becoming a priority.

The United Nations has clearly recognized the pivotal role of cities and local governments in achieving sustainable agrifood systems transformation during the 2021 Food Systems Summit and the subsequent Stocktaking Moment in 2023. In 2023, urban agrifood systems and healthy diet were the focus of the FAO flagship publication, the “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World”. Also, in the same year, in the Washington Declaration of the 2nd World Forum on Urban Forests, FAO have emphasized the need for a more equitable distribution of the goods and services provided by urban nature. In 2024 the importance of taking action on urban agrifood systems is gaining even more momentum with the publication of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and nutrition (HLPE-FSN) report on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition.

A fast-growing number of local and regional governments are transforming agrifood systems, incorporating both green infrastructure and food systems, in their policies, planning and actions. However, cities and local governments do not receive adequate support and recognition at global and national levels. Moreover, in most cases, agrifood systems issues are managed separately from environmental, health and urban development portfolios.

This event, jointly organized by FAO, UN-HABITAT and ICLEI, aims to identify innovative financial mechanisms  to ensure that urban agrifood systems are integrated within the urban development agenda. Strategic entry points will be identified to connect a global urban agrifood systems agendap to the urban development agenda.

The event will build on the momentum generated by the Urban Agrifood Systems Global Workshop – co-organized by FAO and ICLEI and hosted by FAO in September 2024 in Rome.  The event will draw upon the outcomes of the global workshop.

Moderator

• Simone Borelli,  Forestry Officer FAO

Speakers

• Abdulhakim Elwaer - Assistant Director General, regional Representative, FAO Cairo (tbc)
• Omar Abdeen, Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Egypt (tbc)
• Raf Tuts, Director Global Solutions Division, UN-HABITAT
• Peter Defranceschi, ICLEI CityFood Network
• Cecilia Marocchino, Urban Agrifood Systems Expert, FAO
• Stephan Atchia, Manager of the Urban Development Division, African Development Bank
• Papa Sy, Global Lead, Urban Development, Islamic Development bank.
• Mohamed Bakarr, Manager of Integration and Knowledge Management Division of the GEF
• Sergio Joliete Josa, Head of Unit Sustainable Transport and Urban Development, European Commission (tbc)
• Mona Azouz, Deputy Director of the Urban Training and Studies Institute, Egypt
• Ruth Okowa, Kenya Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Time: 6 November  2024, 13:00 - 14:30 CET

Location: Egypt International Exhibition Center & online

To register for WUF12 (online or in person), please click here.

For more information on the event and session, please click here.

Be aware that registration closes on 30 October 2024 at 18:00 (CET).