Given the rates of urbanisation and the high prevalence of different forms of malnutrition in urban areas, it is critical to mainstream the role of urban food systems in the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) alongside national governments.

Currently, 70 per cent of food is consumed by urban inhabitants, with this share expected to increase.

Cities offer a crucial entry point for transforming food systems, inter alia, for improved nutrition and influence food systems governance: they can assess, strengthen and integrate the links between food and connected areas, such as public health, social development, employment, etc.

To facilitate the engagement of cities and local governments to the UNFSS and to other global policy processes, an Urban Food Systems Working Group was created in 2020 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which includes international city networks, academia, civil society organizations, and UN Agencies.

This Global Summit Dialogue – jointly organised by FAO, GAIN, the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments and the UN Food Systems Summit Secretariat – wants to bring political attention and promote significant actions and commitments towards sustainable urban food systems transformation, exchanging perspectives of local governments representatives and various urban food systems stakeholders.

UNCDF is part of the Urban Food Systems Working Group led by FAO. UNCDF is called to bring food system financing expertise and proposed Game Changing Solution titled “Increasing Public and Private Financing for Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Food Systems”.

David Jackson Local Development Finance Director of UNCDF will moderate session 4 on Financing mechanisms for sustainable urban food systems solutions

LIVESTREAM Available on https://www.fao.org/urban-food-agenda

Event Details

• Title: “Global Dialogue On Empowering Cities And Local Governments To Improve Food Systems Globally”
• Location: Webinar Registration - Zoom
• Date: Monday, June 28, 2021, 12:30 GMT To 15:30 GMT
• Format: English, Spanish, French
• Convened by : The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments & the UN Food Systems Summit Secretariat