Food for the Cities. Food Supply and Distribution Policies to Reduce Urban Food Insecurity.

Feeding cities plus the rising total of poor urban households in developing countries and countries in transition is the challenge facing City and Local Authorities. This guide intends to brief the Mayors, City Executives and Urban Planners, including specialists in food production, market development, public health, environment, forestry and agroforestry, on the compelling need for food supply and distribution policies and programmes. These would lower the cost of accessing food by low-income households in their cities and stimulate private investment. It reviews the role of City and Local Authorities in food supply and distribution at regional, metropolitan, urban and local level along with the key steps for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of required interventions. This guide stresses the necessity for a proper understanding of local conditions, an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and participatory approach to finding sustainable solutions, a forecast of urban food security and collaboration between institutions and organizations. The direct involvement of the private sector is essential for sustainable planning decisions.