Urban food systems
The urbanizing world brings challenges, such as the need to find new ways to access food, energy, water and land and new policies for regulation. We need design of food systems, stakeholder involvement and innovations to feed growing urban populations. This requires a deep understanding and knowledge of natural resources, distribution chains, public, private and civic interactions and geographical contexts. Wageningen University & Research brings together agricultural, social, economic, circular and environmental expertise to help design solutions for and provide stakeholders with a solid scientific basis to deal with these challenges.
Multidisciplinary solutions for urban food systems
Developing sustainable and resilient urban food systems (conform SDG 2) is essential to ensure food production and nutrition security (contributing to SDG 6). For an urban food system transition, it is important to recognise that the system is wider than just agriculture and food. It is also about including natural resources, water and climate. We offer multidisciplinary solutions for urban food systems based on solid research and proven innovations in the agricultural, social, circular and environmental domains. These solutions include:
- The technical, social and economic design of urban areas in the distribution of food, land, water and energy production
- Advice based on scientific knowledge about urban governance issues surrounding food services provision
- Perspectives on the relationships between urban consumers and the surrounding hinterland, through direct food exchange and local branding, including opportunities for urban farming
- Multi-stakeholder networks with participation of public, private and civic organizations in charge of governance of living environment, food security and safety concerns
Complex transition processes are urgently required to ensure a circular and resource efficient food system that provides the healthy food that billions of people need for their well-being.
Showcases
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Urbanising in Place
Farmers and food growers can play a role in managing the urban food-water-energy nexus. Process of urbanization today disable the metabolic agency of... -
Towards a regional circular food system
The continuously growing world population, with a changing preference in diet, requires more food and protein production. It increasingly demands more...
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