Resilient Cities Through Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agrifood Systems

This Initiative aims to provide research support to strengthen the vibrant, largely informal urban and peri-urban agri-food sector to help improve sustainability, equity and growth opportunities and mitigate risks to human and environmental health. This objective will be achieved by: Enabling sustainable production of nutritious food in urban areas by identifying, piloting and scaling up innovations with local partners and in collaboration with local governments; Strengthening inclusive and sustainable informal food markets and supply chains to protect and improve consumer diets, helping to strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises in this sector, with a focus on opportunities for women and youth, and safeguarding food supplies against loss and waste; Strengthen the circular bioeconomy as well as food security and the urban environment by turning the waste burden into an opportunity through resource recovery, reducing the risk of pollution and fostering demand for innovation by connecting stakeholders to technological and institutional change options; Improve urban food environments and adolescent diets by exploring ways to improve food environments and nutrition knowledge in collaboration with consumer and stakeholder initiatives such as schools and women's groups. The data obtained will inform the design of tools for policy development; Strengthen research and innovation capacity through improved research and monitoring tools and processes, and innovation centers targeting young urban entrepreneurs.