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Knowledge4Policy
KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY

Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

Publication | 2021

RICH Food, Smart City: How Building Reliable, Inclusive, Competitive, and Healthy Food Systems is Smart Policy for Urban Asia

Across Asia, cities are contending with a wide range of food-related issues but most lack a dedicated or coherent set of food policies. Based on the first systematic survey of urban food policies in 170 Asian cities in 21 countries, it was found that only 8 percent of surveyed cities are “food-smart” and intervene in the food system in ways that are forward-looking, holistic, and inclusive. Nearly three-fourths are either at an early stage of effective engagement or fully in reactive mode, responding to problems as they emerge. The pandemic has now drawn attention to the essential functions of urban food supply chains and businesses and further exposed the vulnerability of urban populations to food insecurity, zoonosis, and foodborne disease. The book illustrates how Asian cities and urban leaders can take on vital food system issues, including food security, diet quality, environmental sustainability, and climate neutrality; and how building RICH food systems can help cities pursue their goals. The book will be of interest to urban planners, policy makers and leaders at the city and national levels, as well as to food system and development practitioners, and others interested in urban food policy and governance.