Urban Futures is a global program focusing on urban food systems, youth well-being, and climate action, with local partners in Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Why food systems need to change now
Our current food systems are not meeting the needs of people or the planet. Food systems are responsible for 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the “triple burden” of nutrition is increasing. At the same time, rapid urbanization will result in 68% of the world’s population living in urban areas by 2050. As cities already consume nearly 80% of all food, urban food systems have a major local and global impact on issues including climate change, youth wellbeing, and economic opportunity.
Youth action for inclusive, climate-resilient urban food systems
Young people have become the protagonists of transformation. Urban Futures supports local partners and innovators, especially young people, in building more inclusive, climate-resilient urban food systems, voicing their priorities, influencing decisions, and seizing opportunities in the food sector.
Guiding pillars
Through four central pillars, the Urban Futures program develops integrated strategies:
1. Inclusive, transparent, and participative governance
2. Campaigns around inclusive, climate resilient and aware cities
3. Sustainable and climate-resilient agri-food systems
4. Financial flows to climate-resilient and sustainable food systems
Cross-Cutting Capacity Development
- Connection and learning
- Gender equality and inclusion
- Technology and digitalization
Where
In ten intermediary cities in Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe. Of its over 650,000 inhabitants, more than 60 percent are aged 15 to 25, with 24 percent of people 15 and older unemployed.
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Mutare, in the East of Zimbabwe, is the third most populous city with over 500,000 inhabitants, half of which are urban. Of this urban population, over 50 percent are under 25.
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Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe. Of its over 650,000 inhabitants, more than 60 percent are aged 15 to 25, with 24 percent of people 15 and older unemployed.
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Kitwe is located in the Copperbelt Region. It is the second most populous city in Zambia with almost 700,000 inhabitants, of which 65 percent are under 25, and 52 percent under 18.
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Medellin is the second-largest city in Colombia with a population of approximately 2.5M. Despite this, its rural heritage is still an integral part of the city's identity, linked to people’s pride in their place of origin and traditions.
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The Cali Metropolitan Area, the third-largest city in Colombia with 2.5 million inhabitants, boasts a diversified and thriving economy.
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MANPANOR (Municipal Association of the Northern Pacific Coast) is located in Ecuador’s Manabí province. It consists of four municipalities with a total population of around 200,000.
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The Chocó Andino Association of Municipalities (MCA) is a coordinating and participatory governance body made up of six rural parishes to the northwest of the capital, Quito.
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Bandung is the capital city of Indonesia’s West Java Province. Out of its population of almost 2.5M people, about one third is between 15 and 34.
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West Manggarai, in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, has a population of over 264,000. Seventeen percent live below the poverty line and a third is between 15 and 34.
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Period and budget
January 2023 to 2027, €19.5 million
Partners
The program is managed by Hivos and supported by RUAF Global Partnership on Urban Agriculture and Food Systems and local partners, networks and experts. In Indonesia, Urban Futures is implemented by Hivos partner organization Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial.
Donor
About Fondation Botnar
Fondation Botnar is a Swiss philanthropic foundation working to improve the health and wellbeing of young people living in cities around the world. Advocating for the inclusion of youth voices and the equitable use of AI and digital technology, the foundation invests in and supports innovative programs and research, and brings together actors from across sectors to create dialogue and partnerships.
