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GROWING BETTER CITIES
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ID: 95297Added: 2006-03-23 15:50Modified: 2008-11-03 12:04Refreshed: 2009-01-07 21:11 
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Book(s) 41 of 223
in_focus: GROWING BETTER CITIESUrban Agriculture for Sustainable Development Luc J.A. Mougeot IDRC 2006 ISBN 1-55250-226-0 e-ISBN 1-55250-242-2 118 pp.   
Disponible en français / Disponible en español / Available in Arabic The United Nations predicts that over the next 25 years nearly all population growth will be in the cities of the developing world. At current rates, 60% of the world’s total population will live in cities by 2030. As the cities grow, so does the number of urban poor. Unemployment, hunger, and malnutrition are commonplace. In the big city, most of any cash income the poor might bring home goes to feeding themselves and staying alive; any food that does not have to be bought is a bonus. As a result, more and more people are attempting to grow at least some of their own food to supplement poor diets and meager incomes. But farming in the city — urban agriculture — is too often seen by municipalities as a problem to be eradicated rather than as a part of the solution to making the city and its environment more sustainable. In fact, urban agriculture has a long history. Throughout the developing world, municipal policymakers are waking to the fact that properly managed agriculture can make a major contribution to a city’s food security. It also has potential to provide employment, improve the environment, and make productive use of vacant spaces within the city. This book reviews the research experience of IDRC and its partners, including local governments, into the issues surrounding urban agriculture, with a particular emphasis on the influence that research has had on government policies. It describes the growth of city networks in Africa and Latin America that focus on accommodating urban agriculture and improving the lot of urban food producers. And it offers specific recommendations aimed at helping policymakers at all levels of government to maximize the potential of urban agriculture. The book concludes with a vision of how such policies might transform cities in the near future. This book serves as a focal point for an IDRC thematic Web site on urban agriculture: www.idrc.ca/in_focus_cities. The full text is available online and leads the reader into a virtual web of resources that explores two decades of research into this important issue. A CD of the in_focus Website is included with the book. THE AUTHOR Luc J.A. Mougeot is currently a senior program specialist with IDRC’s Special Initiatives Division. Dr Mougeot joined IDRC in late 1989, directing the Urban Environment Management program from 1992 to 1995. In 1996, he founded IDRC’s Cities Feeding People program and, from 1996 to 2004, managed over 40 projects on urban agriculture in the developing world. Dr Mougeot has served as member of various international steering, advisory, editorial, and selection committees on urban agriculture. He is currently a permanent reviewer for the International Science Foundation and sits on the international advisory board for UN-HABITAT’s State of the World's Cities Report 2006. Dr Mougeot has authored or edited over 60 publications, including his most recent, AGROPOLIS: the Social, Environmental, and Political Dimensions of Urban Agriculture (Earthscan/IDRC 2005).
Book(s) 41 of 223
GROWING BETTER CITIES / Foreword Paul Taylor 2006 GROWING BETTER CITIES / Preface Luc J.A. Mougeot 2006 GROWING BETTER CITIES / Acknowledgments 2006 GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 1. The Issue 2006 In many African cities, it is common for families to eat just one meal a day. Malnutrition and related health issues are commonplace. Little wonder, then, that increasing numbers of people look for ways to supplement the meager amounts of food that they can afford to buy. Population shift Food: a "basic luxury" Snails and silkworms¨ Women's roles Easing ecological problems An uncertain existence Increasing recognition Cities Feeding People GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 2. The Approach 2006 Over a period of 20 years, IDRC's approach to UA matured into a well-orchestrated strategy. This used human expertise, financial resources, and institutional networks to tackle gaps in knowledge or capacity that stand in the way of urban agriculture's contribution to healthier, more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable cities. An evolving approach Cities Feeding People Building capacity — and bridges Maximizing impact The way ahead GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 3. Experiences from the Field 2006 In 1983, IDRC became the first major international agency to undertake formal research in the field of urban agriculture when it funded a study of six urban centres at the Mazingira Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. For more than 20 years now, IDRC has supported research projects in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Blurring the boundaries Land, people, and policies Real progress in three African cities City partners in Latin America Waste, water, and environment Closing the nutrient loop Mapping waste supply and demand Reducing waste, feeding the poor Managing municipal wastewater Reducing the pollution load Growing gardens with greywater Food security and incomes Lessons learned GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 4. Learning from Experience 2006 This chapter draws some lessons from IDRC's unique volume of practical experience, particularly as it pertains to the interaction between development research and policy interventions, whether through site-specific projects or broader institutional programs. Land and space Waste disposal and health Food and nutrition GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 5. Recommendations 2006 Accumulated research experience points to a set of simple recommendations for governments that have made the decision to work with UA rather than against it. These recommendations may also prove useful to researchers, NGOs, community activists, and others involved in the study or practice of UA. 1. Municipal governments should start with the right question: What can UA do for my city (not what can my city do for it)? 2. Use UA to make suitable vacant space productive for all 3. Include UA as an urban land-use category and as an economic function in your planning system 4. Use a participatory policy-making approach 5. Experiment with temporary occupancy permits (TOPs) for urban producers using private and public open spaces 6. Support the organization of poor urban producers to manage UA in more and better ways 7. Bring the needed research in tune with your policy exercise at the earliest opportunity Reshaping city life GROWING BETTER CITIES / Part 6. A City of the Future 2006 What is needed to build the cities of the future — better fed, healthier, wealthier, more equitable, and cleaner cities — is to build on the knowledge gained over the past 20 years. This knowledge can enhance the potential for UA to serve as a strategic tool to reduce urban food insecurity and poverty and to improve the urban environment. Fast forward to the year 2025 Back to the present GROWING BETTER CITIES / Appendix 1. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms 2006 GROWING BETTER CITIES / Appendix 2. Sources and Resources 2006 |
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