The urban agenda: Meeting the food and nutrition security needs of the urban poor
This paper (PDF) by SNV explores the malnutrition situation in the urban environment and explores interventions that can be used to address it. Urbanization is expected to put an increased pressure on the global food systems. As the world’s cities expand, they are becoming home to an increasing number of malnourished people, particularly women and infants. In October 2016, the New Urban Agenda was adopted. The set of non-binding principles and commitments will guide the efforts around urban development through to 2036. The paper argues that the following key areas provide potential intervention pathways towards addressing urban food and nutrition security in a concrete manner: 1) improved urban FNS governance, 2) income generation/supportive employment, 3) consumer demand and Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), and 4) improved food environments. A few of the recommendations in the four strategic areas proposed include: Develop clear urban strategy and municipal food policy, led by Government and involving UN, NGOs, civil society, private sector and research; inclusively develop informal food markets, with tested interventions such as investment in basic infrastructure (such as running water and toilets) and storage, or microcredit programs; incentivize more widespread use of technologies to allow sharing of information on costs of production and prices of food; and consider targeting foods that consumers already know to be healthy and make them more accessible, affordable and consistent.