Habitat Norway is a Norwegian non governmental organisation with the overall aim to promote the interest and awareness of settlement issues around the world. The organisation was established in order to put settlement issues on the Norwegian Development Policy Agenda. Habitat Norway is a member of the Habitat International Coalition.
The organisation was founded in 1988 as a result of the activities carried out during the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. The organisation is attached to the Norwegian Branch of International Federation of Housing and Planning, and is open to all professionals; it has members representing many different disciplines such as architecture, engineering, sociology, human geography, and social anthropology. The activities consist mainly of lectures and seminars, sometimes in cooperation with other organisations. Habitat Norway arranges a seminar in October each year in celebration of the World Habitat Day.
WORLD HABITAT DAY 2011 - CITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
URBAN FOOD SECURITY
Urban agriculture as a strategy for building ecological resilience
In many cities food insecurity and poverty are on the rise, particularly in regions suffering from armed conflict, underperforming economies and dire natural disasters. As such, the ability to grow ones own food, either in community gardens or on public or private land, constitutes an important additional resource in such circumstances. Today 800 million city dwellers worldwide use their agricultural skills to feed themselves and their families.
The growth of localised agricultural provision in both urban and peri-urban areas undoubtedly improves sustainable development and reduces environmental hazards in many cities. Furthermore, rising levels of urban food production can also effectively contribute to the creation of new jobs, better nutrition levels and a host of other economic improvements, particularly for the poorer sections of the urban population.
At this year’s World Habitat Day, Habitat Norway will seek to draw attention to the global Urban Food Security situation including how to increase the ecological resilience of cities.
Program
9:00 Welcoming speech by Synne Bergby, Chairperson, Habitat Norway
9:05 Opening speech by Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development. Introduction and actualization of the objective Urban Food Security; urbanization, urban poverty, climate change
9:20 Rafael Tuts, Chief of the Urban Environment and Planning Branch, UN Habitat. The role of urban planning in the context of rapid urbanization, climate change and food security 09:55 Questions/Remarks
10:00 Florence Egal, co-secretary of the Food for the Cities multi-disciplinary initiative, FAO Food and nutrition security in changing cities: bringing food and agriculture on the urban agenda 10:25 Questions/Remarks
10:30 Break
10:40 Henk de Zeeuw and Marielle Dubbeling, Director and Senior advisor at the RUAF Foundation. Urban food security: global tendencies and the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture 11:05 Questions/Remarks
11:10 M. Augustine Kai O. Banya, Director Country Planning, Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and Environment, Sierra Leone. Urban agriculture as a strategy for urban food security and climate change adaptation – case Sierra Leone 11:35 Questions/Remarks
11:40 Kjell Esser, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Plant nutrients and pathogens in urban agriculture 12:05 Questions/Remarks
12:10 Lunch break
12:40 Laura Bracalenti, Professor at Faculty of Urban Planning and Design, National University of Rosario and advisor of the Urban Agriculture Programme of the City of Rosario, Argentina. Integrating urban agriculture into slum upgrading – case Rosario, Argentina 13:05 Questions/Remarks
13:10 Jianming Cai, Professor at Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resource Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and advisor to the Urban Agriculture Programme of Minghang District, Shanghai, China. Government-led urban agriculture development and participatory actions in promoting of local economy: a case of Minhang District, Shanghai, China 13:35 Questions/Remarks
13:40 Closing speech by Hege Solbakken, State Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Planning for sustainable urban development and food security - closing remarks 13:55 Questions/Remarks
Registration
The arrangement is free of charge. Please, registrer your attendance before the 29th of September 2011.Send e-mail with name, institution,e-mail address and mobile telephone number to
Arranged by Habitat Norway in co-operation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NORAD, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, UN Habitat, FAO and the RUAF Foundation
