For Hunger-proof Cities: Sustainable Urban Food Systems

TLDR

Urban populations have grown rapidly, with one‑third of the world living in cities by 1990, yet hunger and malnutrition are rising as the global food system struggles to meet urban demand. The book aims to improve food availability and accessibility for city dwellers by exploring community‑supported agriculture, urban–rural cooperation, and innovative food‑distribution models. It does so by analyzing local food systems, evaluating community‑supported agriculture, urban–rural partnerships, marketing and distribution structures, and the role of emergency food systems such as food banks.

Abstract

The 20th century has witnessed a massive growth in urban populations. In 1990, one-third of the world's people lived in cities of one million or more. As well, hunger and malnutrition are on the increase worldwide, as the global food system fails to satisfy the growing demand of the urban consumer. For Hunger-proof Cities is the first book to fully examine food security from an urban perspective. It examines existing local food systems and ways to improve the availability and accessibility of food for city dwellers. It looks at methods to improve community-supported agriculture and cooperation between urban and rural populations. It explores what existing marketing and distribution structures can do to improve accessibility and what the emerging forms of food-distribution systems are, and how they can contribute to alleviating hunger in the cities. Finally, the book discusses the underlying structures that create poverty and inequality and examines the role of emergency food systems, such as food banks. For Hunger-proof Cities includes contributions from farmers and professors, young activists and experienced business leaders, students and policymakers, and community organizers and practitioners. It will interest academics and students in sociology, politics, economics, environmental studies, social work, nutrition and dietetics, urban planning, and health sciences; practitioners in dietetics, nutrition, public health, and social services; community organizations and NGOs working in food systems; and governmental and international organizations working in food policy and food security.