Lead organizer:
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

Supporting partners:
International Partners for Sustainable Agriculture (IPSA)
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
International Federation of Organic Farming Movements(IFOAM)
World Farmers Organization
FAO Food for Cities Initiative


-Co-hosting member states
Sweden (tbc), Kenya (tbc)

Shortly after the world urban population surpassed the world rural population and the food price crisis of 2007-8, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD17) called for ?strong rural-urban linkages and partnerships between countryside and communities, to enhance livelihoods and food security?. Food Security and Cities are both priority theme areas of the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

New pressures of urbanization, rural migration, climate change and economic volatility will impact the stability of domestic food supply in all regions, but with special challenges in developing countries. These pressures are reflected to some extent in the negotiations on the outcomes for Rio+20, but concrete measures are being taken in many countries where cities and towns are working to build more diverse food supplies from local, regional and international sources. Specifically, there are emerging innovative practices in areas such as sustainable diets,humane and sustainable livestock production, food waste and loss recovery, water and energy for food security and addressing the livelihoods of the most vulnerable urban and rural populations through improving urban-rural linkages. Speakers will address policy and implementation options from the perspectives of farmers, local authorities, nongovernmental organizations, member states, UN agencies, industry, science and research community.

Speakers:

Mr.Marcio de Araujo Lacerda, Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Dr. Alexander Muller, Assistant Director General, Natural Resources Management and Environment, FAO
Keith Kenny, senior director McDonalds Europe
Producervoice in the South (tbc)
Constance Neely, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)


(Programme subject to change)