The presence of hunger and unsustainabile food production practices, both locally and globally, make food security an essential concern. In the twentieth century, urban growth has reached unprecedented levels in most parts of the world. In the last three decades alone, urban population in developed countries doubled from 448 million to 875 million in. In the same period, the urban population in developing countries more than quintupled, from 280 million to 1.6 billion. Limited access to land, commodification of the agri-food system, changing working conditions, and regulations set by the local governments have created obstacles for urban food production and turned the majority of urban populations into consumers of food.
Urban consumers are increasingly dependent on a global food system.
The structures defining the conditions of production, distribution, and marketing often ignore unique local needs and the potential to develop local food systems with efficient and accessible production and distribution systems for all. The Centre for Studies in Food Security at Ryerson, with several partners, is organizing a conference to develop a conceptual and practical framework for sustainable urban food systems that would take into account both global and local conditions. The goal is to understand and develop urban food systems that are integrated, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of diverse metropolitan populations. This international conference is designed to encourage maximum participation to gain comparative insights, and to develop an analytical framework. We particularly welcome attempts to examine local-global connections and their social impacts within an urban framework.