A PLATFORM TO UNIFY STRUGGLES FOR ALL HUMAN RIGHTS

This article addresses ongoing discussions in preparation of Habitat III, the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Its authors argue that we need to react against the urbanization of the development agenda, and the long-held dichotomy of rural and urban spaces. The Urban Food Policy Pact, a mayor-led initiative that seeks to create a stronger governance framework for local food systems, is an interesting example of how to reinforce the role of local governments in the transition towards territorial food systems. A complementary insight box explores the recent recognition, at the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), that territorial markets – not corporate supply systems and international value chains – channel the bulk of the food consumed worldwide. At the CFS, the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) has negotiated a number of policy recommendations that could help document, protect, and support the variety of domestic marketing arrangements that play a crucial role for the realization of the right to food and nutrition. The key role played by Detroit's African American population in the setting up of the city's Food Policy Council is highlighted in a second insight box.