Research Paper

Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World

August 5, 2014

Authors Eugénie L. Birch Alexander Keating

Current Themes

Climate Change & Resilience Rapid Urbanization

Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World

Overview

The "Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World" conference report examines the intersection of rapid urbanization and food security. It highlights the challenges of ensuring food availability, access, and utilization in urban settings amidst the pressures of growing populations, changing land use practices, and climate change. The report underscores the need for multi-disciplinary cooperation and innovative approaches to build resilient urban food systems.

Key Message

Urban food security is a multi-dimensional issue that affects all city dwellers, particularly the poor. Addressing it requires new analytical approaches that consider urban population dynamics and the complex spatial, social, and economic arrangements within cities. Developing targeted, city-centric strategies, building better knowledge networks, and fostering cooperation among various fields and sectors are essential steps toward achieving sustainable urban food security.