Impacts of Urban Agriculture Annual Report.p65 - International ...

invited to attend this public presentation of the workingplan of the Unit. The Unit functions as a neighbourhoodservice centre for agricultural producers and localpeople. It promotes better links and understandingbetween producers and consumers by offering training,information new marketing opportunities andmediation with the municipal authorities. With some cofinancingfrom Urban Harvest, the municipalitymanaged to put together a budget of US$100,000 withthe aim of promoting activities that support the Unit’sobjectives:(1) To encourage producers to farm in a sustainable,economically viable way using fewer chemicals; (2) Tointervene in local planning, including promotinglegislation for the productive use of vacant lots; (3) Topromote improved practices and diversification ofagricultural activities that contributes to higher income.Included in its action plan is the acknowledgement ofthe need to develop ways of integrating urbanagriculture into planning and encouraging socialintegration, including analysis of the roles of men andwomen. During these two years, the local UrbanAgriculture Unit has worked directly with more than 700local producers, helping them with training courses andmarket opportunities and applying the technical skillsdeveloped by the collaborative efforts of producerinnovators and the Urban Harvest research teamthrough the Urban Field Schools (see article page 20and list of publications).To facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiencesbetween districts of Lima and with other Latin Americancities where urban agriculture has become prominentand an integrated aspect of urban governance, a thirdinternational meeting was held in August 2006. Themeeting included presentations by participants fromBogota (Colombia), Mexico city (Mexico), Rosario(Argentina) and Havana (Cuba), as well as by two districtmayors from the city of Lima with pioneer urbanagriculture programs. These experiences were used todevelop proposals for a comprehensive urbanagriculture program relevant at the level ofmetropolitan Lima.A key activity within its research theme on stakeholderand policy dialogue has been Urban Harvest’scooperation with the local Urban Agriculture Unit toexplore forms of engagement with the policy makingprocess. Drawing on local networking linkages (seearticle, page 41 and list of publications ), unit managerswere trained by staff of the Institute for the Promotionof Sustainable Development (IPES), a partnerorganization specializing in policy-related aspects ofurban agriculture. Training complemented officers’existing practical experience of municipaladministration, by adding strategic planning andpolicy formulation aspects of urban agriculture. As aresult, Unit staff recognized the need to strengthenlocal agriculture through a participatory process thatincludes integrating all municipal actors, includingproducers, consumers, public managers and NGOs,among others. In this way, the municipality has beenable to adapt its structure according to the needs ofits people.The Unit has generated a workplan to support thoseinvolved in urban agriculture. The plan includes steeringthrough the local legislative process a series ofordinances defining good agricultural practices – a usefuladdition to the by-laws since up to now, agriculture haslacked specific regulation in metropolitan Lima. Theworkplan also focuses on issues such as access to land,land tenure, access to and quality of water, access tofinance (micro-credits), strengthened marketing andprocessing channels, environmental conservation,organic waste treatment and the quality and safety ofagricultural products. All of these issues affect most ofthose involved in local agriculture, who live in the areaand who consume products from the area.35