post-type: Blogs
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COVID-19: a growing opportunity for community gardening in London
Authors: Victoria Schoen (University of Kent) and Chris Blythe (Social Farms & Gardens) As the UK went into COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, many community gardens in London stepped up as emergency food providers, despite unclear government advice on whether they could continue operating. Highlighting the flexible, community-centred approach of such gardens, as well as…
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Breaking Gender Norms: Lessons from the Women’s Food Lab in La Paz, Bolivia
Author: Nicole Szucs The deployment of Hivos’ Food Lab methodology in a women-only setting in La Paz, Bolivia, allowed stakeholders to hear from and truly involve female participants, who often lack a voice. The process led to the unexpected conclusion that the best approach to addressing gender issues is not always as concrete as lobbying,…
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The Gender Agenda for Agriculture in Analamanga, Madagascar
Author: Vololontsoa Volatiana Razafindratoanina, DRAEP Analamanga Women in Analamanga (the city region of Antananarivo) face considerable disadvantages in developing and professionalising agricultural activities, but the Regional Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (DRAEP) is planning initiatives to close the gender gap. Women are majority participants in the rural economy of Analamanga. They…
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The Women Producers’ Markets of Mezitli, Turkey
Author: Jess Halliday The Turkish city of Mezitli established its first markets exclusively for women producers in 2014. Six years later, some 650 women hold stalls at nine bi-weekly markets across the city, selling fruit and vegetables, olive oils, cakes, breads, desserts, teas, and all manner of other home-produced items. Hurrem Betul Levent Erdal, programme…
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Addressing Gender Inequalities in Quito’s Food System
Author: Alexandra Rodríguez, Economic Development Agency, CONQUITO, Head of AGRUPAR Gender justice and women’s empowerment are central to Quito’s participatory urban agriculture project, AGRUPAR, both as a means of food security and nutrition and as a final goal. This article provides insights into how gender-related data informs the project, the threats faced by women farmers,…
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A Call for Transformative Actions on Gender and Inequality
The new issue of Urban Agriculture Magazine (UAM37), Gender in Urban Food Systems, is now published. The articles in this issue identify the ways in which gender and inclusivity have been neglected in urban food policy, practice and research. The editors call upon the international community to lead the way in enabling truly transformative actions…
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Understanding Nairobi’s urban agriculture sector helps to enhance equality and climate resilience
Author: Carolyn Fry This article originally appeared on: https://wle.cgiar.org/understanding-nairobi%E2%80%99s-urban-agriculture-sector-helps-enhance-equality-and-climate-resilience Food makes up almost half of trading in the vibrant informal sector of Kenya’s capital city. Every day, farmers, processors and traders sell goods that are either locally generated or brought in from up-country. An estimated 250,000 households generate food within the city boundary. Together, these…
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Urban agriculture thrives in Nairobi during COVID-19 crisis
Author: Sam Ikua, Mazingira Institute The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted urban rural linkages, posing unprecedented challenges to cities and their systems. City lockdowns have affected the flow of people and goods into and out of cities. This disruption has created food shortages, putting a majority of the urban population at risk of being food insecure.…
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A message from RUAF and ICLEI Africa on World Hunger Day
Hunger knows no boundaries. It touches every facet of our societies, and makes plain the pains of poverty and inequality. Food is a strong connector, through socialising, cultural expression, community participation and interacting with nature. This is why hunger in our society impacts us all, and why we must strengthen our personal and organisational commitments…
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Standing on the threshold: COVID-19 and our food system
Author: Barbara Emanuel I recently retired as Manager of the Toronto Food Strategy and retirement has thrust me into a liminal state. The word “liminal” means being on the threshold; it is a point or place of entering or beginning, when you are no longer in your current state but haven’t fully transitioned yet to…