The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many countries to adopt strict measures that have disrupted production and trade in agricultural and fishery products. As a result, large amounts of perishable products have gone bad and been thrown away. It is urgent to make good decisions and formulate policies to address the impending global crisis and, to…
This year, CEMAS is celebrating a year of growth: of structural changes, of challenges and of great achievements. For all of us who are part of this organisation, we are very happy to see it grow and become stronger at a steady and firm pace. Today, 15 October 2020, CEMAS is happy to announce a new…
Every 16 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day (WFD) to commemorate its founding in 1945. In the 75 years since then, the world has come a long way in the fight against poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Today, we are at a turning point in international efforts…
A third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted. And with it, so are countless resources: from water and seeds to the energy used in transport and processing. This has enormous consequences for the environment, as food waste increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change. In the midst of so much…
In early September, the African Green Revolution Forum 2020 (AGRF) was held under the theme “Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa“. This online event encouraged us to rethink Africa’s food systems to make them more resilient, nutritionally sound and conducive to greater prosperity for…
To discuss our local food systems in depth, the Annual Meeting of the Network of Cities for Agroecology will take place on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 October: “Local food systems facing global risks: from covid-19 to the climate crisis”. Today, more than ever, improving the way we eat is an absolute priority. This is…
Did you know that one third of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted? Meanwhile, for 870 million people eating is a daily challenge. That vegetable or the fruit that is spoiling in your fridge or on the shelves at the market takes on another meaning, doesn’t it? To raise awareness and promote global…
On Wednesday 7 October at 12pm, CEMAS is holding the conference “Cultivar, nutrir, preservar. La importancia del medio en nuestra alimentación” [Cultivate, nourish, preserve. The importance of the environment in our diet], a meeting organised jointly with the Official Association of Dieticians and Nutritionists of the Valencian Community (CODiNuCoVa) on the theme proposed by the…
One hundred cities from all over the world have already joined the initiative and a thousand cities are expected to join in no time. The Green Cities plan was launched last Friday at a virtual high-level event entitled “Green cities to build back better for SDGs – A new powerful venture”. The event was organised…
The consequences that the covid-19 crisis has had on food systems has been the main focus this year in the celebration of United Nations Day for South-South cooperation that has been held in a virtual session with the participation of FAO, IFAD and WFP.
Taking action on food systems could account for 20% of the emission reductions to be achieved by 2050. The report was published by WWF, the United Nations Environment Programme, EAT and Climate Focus.
Next 29th September will be the first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. While hunger continues to rise, according to FAO, one third of all food produced is lost or wasted.
CEMAS celebrates its first anniversary with the publication of the book ‘CEMAS and the global challenges of sustainable urban food’. In the presentation of the book, the mayor of València, Joan Ribó, announced the upcoming transformation of CEMAS into a foundation, which will enable the opening to other public and private entities and expand the funding sources.
A recent report by the EAT Foundation argues that changing the eating patterns of many of the G20 countries is essential to protect the health of people and the planet.
690 million people in the world suffer from hunger. Almost 9% of the world population. A figure that has been increasing in the last five years. The negative trend continues. In earlier stages, the number of people suffering from hunger started to go down. This trend was broken in 2014. In the last five years, the number of people who have gone hungry has increased by 60 million. This was highlighted by the “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” (SOFI) presented in New York.
The main model of food solidarity continues to revolve around food aid: charity canteens and using unsold products to reduce waste statistics. Over the last 20 years, the concept of poverty management has evolved, but there have been no equivalent developments in the field of food solidarity. This is one of the conclusions drawn from the analysis conducted by the UNESCO Chair on World Food Systems: “For a reform of our food solidarities”.
Both UNHCR (the UN agency for refugees) and WFP (World Food Programme) have warned of the emergency situation in which millions of refugees find themselves. On top of the problems caused by conflicts, disasters and rising prices, the added challenges of the supply chain and the economic consequences of Covid 19 must now be dealt with. These two United Nations agencies have just made a new appeal for urgent action.
Poverty and economic difficulties are the biggest challenge for not only managing to eat, but doing so in a nutritionally adequate way. This will be addressed in the next report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI), which will be presented in New York on 13th July.
Local governments have played a fundamental role in the crisis caused by Covid-19. The Mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó, made this statement during his speech at the virtual meeting organized by UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), UN-Habitat, Metropolis and CEMAS, under the slogan Food Systems: Lessons from a pandemic.
The situation caused by the coronavirus crisis increased the percentage of healthy food on our daily menus. This is shown in a study carried out by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC). These changes are closely linked to the living conditions of the confinement itself. The question now is whether this change is here…
CEMAS (World Sustainable Urban Food Centre of València) submits a report, written by medical doctors and nutrition specialists Florence Egal and Elliot M Berry, as a brief reflection on the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on food security and the consequences of this disruption on the food systems of the Mediterranean region.
Good information helps to make the right decisions. That’s the philosophy of the Food Systems Dashboard. This is a very intriguing interactive tool that has gone into operation in the first week of June as a result of the collaboration between FAO, GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) and the Johns Hopkins Alliance for a…
Several entities integrated in the platform Schools that Feed, the Association of Nutritionists and Dieticians and the City Hall of Valencia are carrying out a campaign to promote healthy diets among the school population. It is particularly aimed at families who have joined the municipal School Meal Funding programme, which has been expanded as a…
The United Nations has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health under the slogan “Protecting plants, protecting life”. The year is a once in a lifetime opportunity to raise awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and boost economic development.
New York is surely the city in the world that is suffering most from the ravages of the COVID 19 pandemic. Although we cannot ignore that before the crisis, a million people suffered from food insecurity, the actions taken to date in this emergency context represent a historical convergence between local government, the private sector and civil society actors to feed more than eight million New Yorkers.
A new story book that aims to help children understand and come to terms with COVID-19 has been produced by a collaboration of more than 50 organizations working in the humanitarian sector, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Save the Children.
The World Health Organization is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge about this new virus, track its spread and virulence, and advise countries and individuals on measures to protect their health and prevent outbreak spread.
The city of València has participated in the study that FAO has launched to analyze global data regarding the impact and management of urban food systems during the Covid-19 crisis. The objective is to guarantee supply and food security during confinement. The research work is directed by the FAO Food for Cities department and in…
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly and UN-Habitat is working on a daily basis to support its staff and partners, while also leveraging its knowledge to help cities and human settlements on the front lines manage the health, social, and economic impacts of the pandemic. The world’s great cities are now on the…
CEMAS and FAO have collaborated to jointly participate in the 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi. This forum, which UN-Habitat convenes every two years, analyses experiences related to sustainable development and how the New Urban Agenda (NUA) is being implemented.
The glass hall of the València City Council has hosted the official celebration of the incorporation of the historic irrigation system at l’Horta as a GIAHS. It is a recognition that distinguishes it as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) that FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) made public last November. The act,…
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognises that food systems and agriculture can play a fundamental role in the fight against climate change. FAO Director General Qu Dongyu has participated in the proceedings of COP 25 in Madrid this week. The head of the FAO, in addition to inaugurating International Mountain Day…
These are the systems that constitute the registry of GIAHS, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. So far, this is an official recognition that FAO has granted to about 60 agricultural systems worldwide. They are diverse, locally adapted farming systems, managed for centuries by farmers, herders, fishermen and foresters who have produced extraordinary landscapes that combine…
The announcement was made by the Mayor of València, Joan Ribó, at the opening of the congress that celebrates United Nations Day, organized by the UN Information Technology Centre based in Quart de Poblet (València). Located in the La Base de La Marina de València building that houses the CEMAS offices, the congress focusing on…
The CEMAS facilities have hosted the celebration of World Food Day for the first time. Public administrations, institutions, universities, various organizations and civil society gathered together in one event to highlight the urgent need for all of us to commit to working in order to achieve #zerohunger with sustainable and resilient food systems. The mayor…
The work sessions of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) took place from 7 – 9 October 2019 in the French city of Montpellier. More than a hundred cities from around the world and representatives of various associations, foundations and universities shared experiences and knowledge about urban food systems: food production and supply, nutrition…
After months of preparation, on 22 July 2019, CEMAS held its opening event at the Marina de València chaired by Queen Letizia.
