The hungry city

Dr Ana Moragues Faus, from the School of Geography and Planning discusses the opportunities of local production and a fairer urban supply chain at the United Nations Habitat Conference in Quito, Ecuador.

The United Nations Habitat Conference is an international event which seeks to set the new urban agenda. Ana presented her work on sustainable food cities and food security, and engaging with Latin American cities.

Speaking about the event Ana, said: “In times of rapid urbanization the growing demand for food is facing cities worldwide. Food connects us as global citizens, but may also pose negative impact on the environment and food insecurity for the urban poor.

“Events like this help to Increase awareness about the opportunities of urban agriculture, together with a growing interest in organic and locally produced food. It also provides an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at the way we organize our urban food supply chains today." she continued.

Ana and colleagues are exploring the role of food in the way our cities are planned, the opportunities to increase local production and urban farming, and how to strengthen the resilience of the urban food system.

Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 – 20 October 2016.

The Conference aims to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges.