In Brazil, UNEP partnered with multiple ministries – Environment, Rural Development, Social Development, and Work and Employment – to implement the TEEBAgriFood Framework, leading to significant strides in urban food system policies. This collaboration resulted in the establishment of key presidential decrees: the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) National Programme (Decree 11.700/2023) and the Food and Nutritional Security Strategy for Cities (Decree 11.822/2023). These decrees introduced the Guide for UPA Agendas, pivotal for fostering multilevel governance (municipal, state and federal) aimed at enhancing food security, socioeconomic development, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem services provisioning. To underpin these policies, rigorous scientific research was conducted to explore the nexus between environment and food systems, alongside the creation of platforms for social participation to engage civil society and social movements.
A critical initial step involved a comprehensive study in São Paulo, in collaboration with Instituto Escolhas, to map ecosystem services related to sustainable production practices. This study provided foundational evidence for São Paulo State and its municipalities to build legislation and financial mechanisms supporting ecosystem services. Subsequent efforts involved presenting these findings nationally to the Ministry of Citizenship, which catalysed the development of the UPA Guide for Cities. UNEP and its partner, the Center of Sustainability of Fundação Getúlio Vargas, facilitated a collaborative process engaging over 60 stakeholders, ensuring diverse perspectives including gender balance and regional representation. This inclusive approach integrated feedback from more than 100 public consultations, reinforcing the importance of scaling out and scaling up UPA initiatives across Brazil's urban landscapes.
Overall, this collaborative endeavour underscored UPA's potential to bolster urban resilience and sustainability by embedding environmental considerations into urban planning and governance frameworks. It demonstrated that UPA can yield substantial socioeconomic benefits, such as job creation and enhanced food security, while catalysing transformative shifts in consumption patterns and production practices across both urban and rural food systems.
