Workshop 5 – Urban Agriculture

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Our fifth workshop was about urban agriculture, community gardens, and school gardens in the design of local food systems. We continued our methodological journey with the development of the mapping of municipal food systems and their levers of transformation, inviting all participants to reflect on the following question:

“If we had enough budget and financial and non-financial resources to invest, which project, initiative, or action would have the greatest impact on transforming our city’s municipal food system, so that it becomes fairer, healthier, and more sustainable?“

Our thematic journey – in which we encourage the exchange of experiences among LUPPA cities – focused on the development of urban and peri-urban agriculture, and we discussed the role of municipal government in strengthening agricultural initiatives within the city.

The objectives for this workshop were:

Strengthen relationships among participants in the LUPPA journey and their capacity for collaboration
Introduce the workshop’s proposed theme: urban agriculture, community gardens, and school gardens in the design of local food systems
Learn about urban agriculture experiences and promote exchanges among participating cities
Share the projects, initiatives, or actions that will have the greatest impact on transforming the food systems of the participating cities

The Call to Debate was given by Daniela Adil, who coordinates the AUÊ! Urban Agriculture Study Group, linked to the Institute of Geosciences/Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte. Daniela holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a PhD and postdoctorate in geography from UFMG, and is a former Director for the Promotion of Family Farming, Urban Agriculture, and Food Supply at the Undersecretariat of Food and Nutrition Security of the City of Belo Horizonte, which brings together programs such as the Food Bank, Direto da Roça, the Organic Market, the Family and Urban Farming Supply Center (CAFA), Open-Air Markets, ABasteCer – Low-Cost Food, Promotion of Agroecological Systems in Collective/Community and Institutional Production Units, the Food Acquisition Program, among other actions.

Watch the video below for an edited version of this workshop, with the key moments from the plenary session.