Resilient Cities

Challenge

By 2050, more than two in three people will live in an urban environment, including over 5.5 billion in low- and middle-income countries. The agrifood sector will play a central role in humanity’s transition to an urban world over the next generation. Local and global agrifood systems need to step up and adapt to feed and nourish expanding urban populations, reduce human and environmental health risks and secure economic opportunities for the urban poor.  

Countries and cities in CGIAR target regions are struggling to keep pace with the implications of rapid urbanization and are demanding technically sound, equitable and scalable solutions in the agrifood sector. Key challenges for agrifood action in urban and peri-urban environments include unhealthy diets and limited access to nutritious food by the urban poor, food safety and food waste reduction, pollution, environmental degradation and climate change impacts, and low visibility and support within the urban policy, governance and investment context.

Objective

This Initiative aims to provide research support to strengthen the vibrant, largely informal urban and peri-urban agrifood sector, to help improve sustainability, equity and opportunity growth and to mitigate risks to human and environmental health.