Urban food policies: Proceedings of the International Meeting on Experience in Africa, Latin America and Asia
Over the last few decades, local governments have become increasingly powerful political actors. The disengagement of States, food crises and the concentration of people in cities—exacerbating the current food system's harmful effects on sustainable development—have led cities to develop their own food policies. While these issues are not new, there has up to now been little discussion of the perspective of local authorities in urban areas and how they can help address the issues, especially in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The response of the UNESCO Chair on World Food Systems of Montpellier SupAgro and CIRAD was to organize the international Urban Food Policies meeting, held in Montpellier from 16 to 18 November 2015. By giving a voice to the representatives of cities and regions, the UNESCO Chair on World Food Systems of Montpellier SupAgro, CIRAD and their partners have helped to show not only that cities have the leverage they need to make a contribution, alongside national policies and international agreements, to food security and the sustainability of food systems, but also that the cities of the global South are often at the leading edge of these developments. This book contains the proceedings of the international meeting.