Farmers

The Stakeholders Roundtable aims to:
• reinforce the urgency of addressing the need for farmers to be engaged in the implementation process for the New Urban Agenda to promote urban food security and livelihoods.
• provide multi-sector perspectives and practical suggestions on how farmers can contribute to the aspirations of the New Urban Agenda considering the importance of food security, urban-rural linkages, women’s empowerment.

The New Urban Agenda makes clear that 1) land challenges must be approached considering the economics of urbanization alongside the social, cultural and environmental dimensions, 2) that actions in securing the delivery of food and strengthening livelihoods are critical 3) that inclusive urban prosperity and sustainable development are more likely when all stakeholders are engaged and this includes farmers as urban, peri-urban and rural land and tenure security is linked with other key development outcomes – improved livelihood generation, and improved food security.

In other words, there is a relationship between sustainable urbanization, land management and tenure security, strong urban-rural linkages and partnerships between urban and rural actors, food security and livelihoods. The critical question is how to enhance cooperation and communication across the key stakeholders, including farmers, to ensure that inclusive urbanization also considers key questions around food production, food processing and supply chains as well as managing the livelihoods, that operates between rural and urban areas and at the urban fringes to feed people.

The Stakeholder Roundtable will bring together farmers from a range of backgrounds to deliver concrete recommendations on how they can help deliver the New Urban Agenda and what specific and practical interventions are required to ensure their role in sustainable urbanization is recognised and supported.

Q1: Who are the key stakeholders in the urbanization process that need to be part of the agenda for developing sustainable strategies for enhancing food security and foster small holder producers?

Q2: What are the practical ways that each stakeholder group can contribute to implementing the New Urban Agenda?

Q3: How can these stakeholders groups be supported in their efforts?

Q4: What are the critical next steps?