This year marks the 20th anniversary of RUAF and Urban Agriculture Magazine. Over the last two decades we have played a leading role in advancing urban food systems transformation through action and advocacy, and in knowledge brokering between science, policy and practice.
Each year, more international organisations have joined the urban food policy community, bringing new opportunities for collaboration. Many more cities around the world have implemented actions to enhance food security and nutrition, social justice, and reduce environmental impacts of the food system, not least with the signature of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact by over 210 cities since 2015. Urban food systems are now on the global agenda, but our work is far from done.
The world in 2020 is very different to the world of 2000. From catastrophic wildfires in the Amazon and Australia, to hurricanes, floods, and unprecedented heatwaves, the climate crisis is upon us and its impacts throughout food systems are devastating. Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed food supply vulnerabilities and look likely to drive up food insecurity. And the Black Lives Matters protests in many global cities are paving the way for significant social change.
The next issue of Urban Agriculture Magazine, expected in December 2020, will continue our tradition of agenda setting over urban food issues. It will identify emerging topics to be addressed by cities, organisations and research institutes over the next decade, and promising approaches for doing so. To this end, we will be hosting a series of focus groups in the coming months. More information to follow.