València, 20 October 2017. 400 mayors, experts and city delegates from the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) gathered in Valencia from 19 – 21 October 2017 to discuss sustainable food systems in the framework of the Third Annual Gathering of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP).
The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact is the first international protocol on sustainable urban food policies, was launched in Milan in 2015 and has been signed by 159 cities so far. The gathering of mayors and city officials is an opportunity for signatory cities to exchange ideas and share their progress in meeting the goals of the Pact.
“It is in the hands of the mayors to lay the ground for participation of every city to meet this global challenge, and the cities have to share their good practices with other cities” says Joan Ribó, Mayor of Valencia. He says “cities are the essence of civilization. The history of the evolution of societies is full of collaborative processes. Only by working together we will make a difference”.
“The Milan Pact, two years after its launch, is proving to be an extraordinary means to promote collaboration among cities on food policies and sustainability. Thanks to the exchange of good practices on urban agriculture, prevention of food waste, school meals and so forth, taking place both at regional level – in North America Western Africa and Latin America – and across continents, we have been able to activate network of cities with great strategic value,” says Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan. “The joint commitment of Mayors signing the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact highlights our capacity to put forward innovative solutions to global economic, social and environmental challenges when tackling food issues. Cities are ready to play an important role in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.”
MUFPP cities launched an appeal to the UN Secretary and the all UN agencies for their efforts to foster inclusion, resilience and sustainability to be recognized. They call on the UN bodies to adopt multi-level approaches to food systems governance” acknowledging “the need to include actors at subnational level in upcoming review and follow up to the global agendas”. Cities also urge UN agencies, governments and civil society to “include sustainable and actionable initiatives to strengthen urban rural linkages integral to sustainable development.
Download the Valencia Appeal in English; French, Spanish
At the end of Milan Pact Awards Ceremony it was announced that the city hosting the upcoming 2018 MUFPP Annual Gathering and Mayors’ Summit will be Tel Aviv.
6th MUFPP Regional Forum in Africa
School meals programmes for healthier and sustainable African cities. On