City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

based on changing from fossil fuels to renewable energy and improvements in efficiency rather than reducing energy demand in absolute terms. Reducing fossil fuel usage in the transport sector is likely to be the city’s biggest challenge. If the focus is on reducing CO 2 emissions per capita at the expense of broader improvements to urban sustainability, or if fuel switching is pursued instead of reducing car use, rebound effects may limit the city’s ability to effectively decouple itself from fossil fuels.

24. Strengthening food security in Buenos Aires, Argentina

By Dr. Walter Alberto Pengue (Peri-urban Institute, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento) with contributions from Dr. Ana Carolina Herrero (UNGS and National Team of ProHuerta INTA)

Spurred by recurring shortages in food, economic crises and limited access to productive land, recent years have seen the increased implementation of projects that help to promote food production within cities and along their peripheries. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, nearly 800 million people are involved in the production of food in cities around the world, 150 million of whom are employed full time. Cities like those in Cuba have shown that organic farming methods can provide a low-cost means of producing food, and in addition to meeting the nutritional requirements of city dwellers, urban agriculture opens up opportunities for cities to derive economic benefits from exporting surplus food to surrounding areas. One of the most influential urban and peri-urban food production programs is Argentina’s ProHuerta, funded by national government with support from international organisations. Started by the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) in the 1990s, the program has helped millions of people to produce their own food, and has grown steadily over the years. Today, ProHuerta supports 500,000 urban gardens, 7,000 school gardens and 4,000 community gardens, reaching a population of over 3 million people around the country. The program incorporates over 3,600 villages, as well as larger cities like Rosario, Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires. Over 80,000 metric tonnes of food is produced by 4000 ha of orchards nationwide, with a market value of around 150 million Argentine Pesos (approximately 30 million US Dollars 234 ). 235 Each Peso invested by ProHuerta generates approximately 10 times its value in food, not to mention numerous non- monetary benefits associated with providing the poor with an opportunity to earn money whilst contributing positively to society. ProHuerta aims to improve nutrition amongst impoverished peri-urban and rural populations by encouraging the production of organic food on a small scale (from home gardens and small farms to schools, institutions and community organizations). In the Buenos Aires Metropolitan area, a team of 60 field technicians and 1,740 'promoters' have been trained to teach organic food production techniques and act as intermediaries between ProHuerta and the urban gardeners. They also facilitate the distribution of inputs required for food production such as free seeds, cuttings, chickens, rabbits and tools provided by ProHuerta. The use of agrochemicals is avoided, and the promoters educate urban gardeners on natural methods of pest and disease control which help them to save money.

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