By Paul Weisenfeld, Executive Vice President, RTI International

The global community continues to make progress increasing the food supply in order to feed a surging population. Undernourishment is steadily decreasing, and food production in low-income countries has increased by approximately 35 percent since 2007. This success has resulted in global food security moving down from the top of the list of critical agenda items at major international summits. It is clear, however, that the underlying pressures of supply and demand that drove the food price crisis of 2008 still remain, necessitating continued attention to food security. At the same time, the global context for food security and agriculture continues to evolve. The structure of developing country populations is experiencing unprecedented changes as once predominantly rural populations are increasingly migrating to cities. The urban population in Africa is expected to increase from 36 percent in 2010 to 50 percent by 2030.

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture—will require the incorporation of approaches designed to tackle the food security challenges unique to urban populations, which to date have been a minor footnote in the global food security and agriculture agenda. We know that urban centers can serve as drivers of economic growth, but they can also bring wrenching changes to families who relocate there after countless generations of rural life. Urbanization brings both opportunities and challenges to the food security agenda that the global community must both leverage and carefully manage.

First, urbanization leads to lifestyle changes for formerly rural dwellers, which can include greater consumption of convenience foods that are typically higher in fat, sugar and/or sodium, and are often unregulated (e.g., street foods). This increases the risk of obesity and chronic disease as well as foodborne illness. These trends and linkages have been under-researched, relative to undernutrition. So as a first step, ensuring sufficient, safe, and nutritious food requires more evidence on the relationship between urbanization and food consumption patterns in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the resulting negative impacts, and effective prevention measures. There is a growing body of research on consumption patterns in wealthy countries, but attention needs to shift to LMICs. 

Equally as important as navigating these challenges will be capitalizing on the growth opportunities offered by urbanizing food systems.

Using DFID’s framework, we can identify clear opportunities for different populations. For those “stepping out” of household agricultural production and joining the non-farm economy, urban food systems can offer job growth in transport, manufacturing, food processing, food inspection, retail, and food service. Urbanization is an opportunity to capture more value from agricultural commodities. In rural markets, crops are typically sold in a similar form as they are harvested, while urban preferences for more varied foods and foods that require less time to prepare create a demand for higher value products. Additionally, the rise of agriculture-related off-farm jobs could particularly benefit youth who would otherwise be drawn to cities.

For rural growers capable of “stepping up” their production, urban populations can represent a larger, more profitable market. However, to realize this opportunity for farmers to evolve towards commercial scale, investments must be aligned to improve rural-urban linkages. Donors must broaden their focus from smallholder productivity and think about how to strengthen connections between rural producers and the bigger market opportunities offered by expanding urban areas. If these connections are made, urbanization can serve as a powerful economic driver for agricultural growth and poverty reduction.

Realizing the potential benefits of rural-urban linkages will require strategic alignment of resources from governments, donors, the private sector, and other stakeholders. Governments should prioritize investments in public goods, such as physical infrastructure and sound national policies. Increased private sector investment will be critical for job creation and sustained economic growth. Donor resources can play a critical link between public and private inputs by supporting national priorities and facilitating private investments. 

The World Bank’s Global Infrastructure Facility and USAID’s Food Security Policy Innovation Lab are examples of donor investments that align with identified public needs and catalyze private investment in infrastructure.

In addition to aligning resources, feeding urban populations will require sophisticated, data-driven research to inform policies that govern the food system. The Chicago Council outlines several key research priorities to identify effective food system approaches in an urbanizing world.

We must empower local universities and researchers to lead this charge through capacity building, collaboration with international universities and research institutes, provision of research funding, and facilitating seamless integration with industry and policymakers. For example, governments will require food safety research to conduct risk assessments and support the development of food safety regulations that minimize consumers’ exposure to contaminated foods.

The changing landscape presents new challenges, but also enormous opportunities for employment growth and value creation. Investments should not be limited to rural OR urban populations, but rather strive to understand and target rural-urban linkages and how individuals, food, and income increasingly flow between them. Ultimately, the success of development investments will depend on their alignment with these opportunities.