TheMilanUrbanFoodPolicyPactandtheNewUrbanAgenda:

Improvingfoodsecurityandnutritionarecoretosustainableurbanization16October2016

OneyearhaspassedsincetheMilanUrbanFoodPolicyPactwassignedbymanycitiesaroundtheworldandwaspresentedtotheSecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNationsbytheMayorofMilanatthe2015WorldFoodDaycelebrationattheMilanExpo.Signatorycities (128asofOctober2016) committodevelopsustainable foodsystemsthatareinclusive,resilient,safeanddiverse,thatprovidehealthyandaffordablefoodtoallinahumanrights-basedframework.ThePactcallsforacross-fertilizationofallcity-ledsocial,economicandenvironmentalpoliciesandprogrammes.ItalsoincludesaninspiringFrameworkforActionwhichclustersavarietyofinterventionsinareasofgovernanceoractionsuchaspromotingsustainablediets and nutrition, tackling food poverty, increasing food production and fostering urban rurallinkages; but also diversifying and promoting resource efficient food supply and distributionsystems; and improving food waste management, reduction and prevention. The Milan PactreferencestheHabitatIIIprocessalongsidethe2030SustainableDevelopmentAgendaandtheSustainable Development Goals, more specifically Goal#2 and Goal#11 calling for both endinghungerandenablingmoresustainablecitiesandhumansettlements.We,MUFPP cities strongly believe that urban food systems are at the center of sustainabledevelopment and a crucial part of the nexus of climate, energy, water and other naturalresources,togetherwithsocialinclusionandequity.In fact, we, signatory cities attending theMUFPP Annual Gathering onWorld Food Day 2016,enthusiasticallyacknowledgetheNewUrbanAgendaparticularlyinitscallforactionandplanfor:promotingequitableandaffordableaccesstohealthyfoodandnutritionforall;coordinatingfoodpolicieswithenergy,water,health,transport,andwasteprogrammes;supportsustainableurbanagriculture and farming; strengthening food system planning and development in order toincreaseaccesstomarkets,strengthenurban-rurallinkagesandimproveresiliency;reducingfoodlossesandpreventingandreusingfoodwaste;whichrecallsextraordinarilyalldifferentelementsoftheMUFPP.Thus,onbehalfofall thesignatorycitiesof theMilanUrbanFoodPolicyPact,wewelcomethework done so far by Governments, FAO, UN Habitat, other UN Agencies and all diversecontributors,andwelookforwardtoparticipatinginthefollowupprocess.Westronglybelievecitiesshouldbesignificantlyinvolvedinsuchaprocessascrucialrepositoriesofexperience,dataand innovation valuable for implementation of both theNewUrbanAgenda and theAgenda2030. We also believe that the MUFPP represents an innovative mechanism of enhancinghorizontal and vertical alignment and coherence from local to national levels that could alsoinspireother thematicgoals.TheMUFPP,with itsFramework forAction, itsgovernanceand itsinternational partnership, is a useful framework and a unique platform to help organize theintegrationofgoalsandtargets,commitmentsandactionsstemmingfromtheseglobalagendas.