We are starting 2024 by presenting and taking a close look at the IPES-Food report, launched in November 2023, entitled From Plate to Planet: How local governments are driving action on climate change through food, because, in addition to being a document produced by a prestigious international institution in the field of food systems, it is also a way of recalling one of Comida do Amanhã’s many achievements in 2023. In this report, the Urban Food Policy Lab – LUPPA was internationally recognized as a powerful strategy to foster the transformation of local food systems and as the only Global South experience among support networks for cities in this field. Join us to learn more about this report and its recommendations!
First, it is important to say that IPES-Food is a diverse and independent panel of experts guided by new ways of thinking about research, sustainability and food systems, which takes a democratic approach to knowledge and recognizes different forms of knowledge, from scientific to experiential, Indigenous and traditional. It is a non-profit organization based in Brussels and funded by international philanthropy. The main themes discussed in its publications are: agroecology, climate, global governance, agribusiness, health and resilience, meat and protein, and urban food systems. Throughout its years of work, IPES-Food has made, and continues to make, a strong and well-grounded critique of the way food systems are organized.
Returning to the From plate to planet report, it is worth noting that it was intentionally launched a few days before the 28th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the countries that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) met to discuss and rethink the climate agenda. The aim of this launch was to urge governments to stop neglecting food systems in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), that is, their national climate commitments, and to pay attention to the pioneering emission reduction efforts of cities and subnational regions.
The document thus seeks to criticize national governments for climate policies that give little consideration to food systems, while at the same time shedding light on the pioneering work of local governments, which take more connected approaches to these issues. According to the authors, national governments are not including food system-related climate ambitions in their NDCs, missing the opportunity to amplify greenhouse gas emission reductions. The three weaknesses identified in national NDCs are: i) a lack of approaches that encompass all aspects of the food system; ii) a lack of measurable commitments; and iii) a lack of multi-level and participatory commitments and policies.
As a way of showing possible strategies to address these weaknesses, seven ways in which local governments are tackling climate change through food system transformation are presented: 1. planning food and climate policies through participatory processes and collaboration across departments and sectors; 2. establishing robust planning, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms; 3. supporting sustainable agriculture and short supply chains; 4. ensuring that healthy and sustainable diets are available, affordable and desirable; 5. leveraging public procurement to catalyze sustainable production and consumption; 6. reducing food waste and improving waste management; and 7. leveraging partnerships and learning networks.
It is in this last strategy that LUPPA was referenced as an innovative initiative providing practical support to cities in developing local food policies. In addition to this mention, Brazil was highlighted in the report with examples from two cities, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, both LUPPA mentor cities. For São Paulo, the highlight was the Ligue os Pontos Project, now transformed into the Sampa + Rural Program, which seeks to strengthen the local agriculture value chain through technical assistance to increase production, increase income, transition to sustainable farming practices, and find urban buyers for fresh and organic produce. Belo Horizonte was cited for being a pioneer in intersectoral programs to ensure the food and nutrition security of its citizens. Details about these cities and other participants in LUPPA editions can be found in the publications: Cadernos LUPPA – Aprendizados do 1° Lab and Cadernos LUPPA – Aprendizados do 2° Lab.
IPES-Food reinforces the importance of local government action to limit global warming and, to that end, makes three robust recommendations:
- National governments should revise their national climate commitments (NDCs) to include food system actions.
- National governments should establish robust mechanisms to develop, implement and report on NDCs in collaboration with local governments.
- Building on pioneering examples, local governments should develop integrated food policies as a key tool for climate action.
Local governments and cities therefore remain relevant actors in climate change mitigation and adaptation, with a broad need to recognize the role of food systems in these processes. That is why Comida do Amanhã continues to work on interconnected themes such as Food and Climate and Food and Cities, and is already beginning preparations for the third edition of LUPPA Lab in 2024.