By 2030, it is expected that 6 out of 10 people will live in cities, with 90% of this growth occurring in Africa and Asia. Currently, about 1 in 8 people live in slums. The nutrition problems in cities are increasingly complex and are characterized by a double burden: whilst urbanization is linked to overweight and obesity, and therefore to the increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, undernutrition is still prevalent. Consequently, cities face increasingly complex challenges. Urban citizens depend more on markets than people in rural areas, and rely more on highly processed food, in many instances sold by street vendors. Other challenges, including water, sanitation and hygiene, gender norms, and social capital, also influence food and nutrition security.
Every three years, ICLEI holds its World Congress to showcase how local and regional governments across our network are advancing sustainable urban development worldwide. The ICLEI World Congress connects them with their peers and strategic partners, and provides a platform for discussions that will inform and enhance their work.
On Friday, 22nd June 2018, GAIN will take part with the ‘Improving #urbannutrition: the role of good nutrition governance’ session.
The objective of the session is to highlight the nutrition challenges in urban areas, in the broader context of urban food systems, and make a case for a focus on urban nutrition governance, including a multi-stakeholder approach to developing policy and implementation.