On the eve of Habitat III conference, Milan Urban Food Policy Pact signatory cities call for a stronger role of local authorities in the implementation of New Urban Agenda and Agenda 2030. MUFPP mayors and cities delegates gathered in Rome on World Food Day acknowledging the importance of New Urban Agenda call for action to promote equitable and affordable access to healthy food and nutrition for all. They believe that urban food systems are at the core of sustainable development and that the Pact and its framework for action represent a unique platform to support coordinated food policies and foster urban-rural linkages. MUFPP cities have, therefore, decided to advocate for a greater involvement of cities in the follow up process of the New Urban Agenda by presenting a document at the following events:
18 October 2016
Habitat III Side Event: Good Governance for Healthy, Nutritious, and Sustainable Urban Food Systems
Time: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Room: R2; Habitat III Conferene Venue,  Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
Sponsors: The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Food Smart Cities for Development-an EU project coordinated by the City of Milan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
The world has become urban. There are more people living in cities now than in rural areas and by 2030 there will be 5 billion people living in cities with 90% of this growth occurring in Africa and Asia. This has major implications for the global food system and the ability of large segments of urban populations to achieve good nutrition. The Sustainable Development Goals have underlined that nutrition and urban development are key global priorities (SDG2 and SDG11).
Habitat III will determine the New Urban Agenda for the next 20 years. Considering the importance of good nutrition for good health, well-being and equitable socio-economic development it is critical that policy makers understand and acknowledge the importance of creating sustainable, healthy, and nutritious urban food systems.
This side event will discuss what constitutes a good urban food policy and will examine how to foster sustainable food systems which: 1) stimulate local economies; 2) provide affordable nutritious foods to all; 3) mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
Moderator: Jan van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht, Chairman of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG)
Panellist: Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, UN World Food Programme (WFP); Alfonso Abdo, Executive Director of the Economic Promotion Agency ConQuito;  Sudhvir Singh, Policy Director, The EAT Foundation;  Cinzia Tegoni, City of Milan
 
Food Insecurity and Climate Change in Cities: Meeting Challenges Through an Integrated Approach
Time 04:30 PM – 06:30 PM
Venue: R17
Organization: U.s. Department Of State
Partner organizations: C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Secretariat; Prince Of Wales Foundation; UN Food And Agriculture Organization
As urbanization in developing countries accelerates, and urban poverty, hunger, and malnutrition increase, the global food security community and sustainable cities community must unite to create sustainable solutions. To date, the global food security community has focused on improving agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods as the key to addressing global food insecurity. Such interventions have little effect on hunger and malnutrition in cities. To date, the sustainable cities community has focused on the housing, water, energy, and transportation needs of urban communities, while the food and nutrition needs of city residents are rarely explicitly considered in urban planning. This networking event will address three major themes: (1) the importance of improving data on food security in cities to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, SDG 11, and related goals; (2) the role of city networks in spurring action and achieving reductions in food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions at the same time; and (3) the necessity to consider food systems in their entirety – including producers and consumers in urban and surrounding rural areas – in order to achieve sustainable improvements in global food security and nutrition. Including cities in global food security efforts, and including food security in urban planning, can help achieve goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the COP21 Paris Agreement. SDG 2 calls for the elimination of hunger and malnutrition, which will require the global food security community to attack hunger and malnutrition across the rural-to-urban spectrum. Achieving the goals of the COP21 Paris Agreement will require strong and collaborative action by cities. Food production accounts for 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions; including food distribution and land use, food systems account for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Cities can create and implement comprehensive solutions that reduce carbon emissions and increase resilience system-wide.
 
19 October 2016
Food for cities, the challenge of sustainable development
Time 09:00 am- 01.00 pm
Campus de Ciudades Pabellón 2 Gran Salón 4b
Organization: ICLEI, VECO Andino, RUAF Foundation, Conquito
The main objective of this event is to create awareness on the importance of food and nutrition in the New Urban Agenda and of urban planning in the creation of sustainable food systems.
Specific goals are
To define the scope of  sustainable urban food systems in the perspective of the fight  against hunger and malnutrition and the creation of opportunities to promote economic development, increase resilience and inclusions in urban areas.
To highlight the commitments of the New Urban Agenda with a special focus on the adoption and articulation of urban food policies at national, regional and local level; taking into account issues such as: access to production resources, land and financial means and participation of citizens into a multisector and multistakeholder approach.
To establish  the importance of city-region food systems and urban-rural linkages in the definition of a sustainable urban food system and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger); 10 (Reduction of inequalities); 11 (Sustainable urban development); 12 (Sustainable production and consumption