Metropolitan Food Clusters for climate-proof agriculture by an increased resources use efficiency

By 2050, 75% of the predicted 9 billion people on earth will live in cities. Feeding all these people will be a challenge. At present, individual segments of food production chains are distributed all over the world. This has staggering climatic, economic and social impacts. In addition current and foreseen climate scenarios suggest an enormous threat to sustainable and reliable food provision for metropolitan areas worldwide. The Metropolitan Food Clusters(MFC) concept aims to address these issues by transforming rural landscapes close to urbanised areas into climate robust, sustainable food production areas through optimisation of agro-logistics, linking food production areas to internal and external markets and positively affecting social and economic development.

The development of MFCs requires a thorough rethinking and redesign of the agricultural value chain and its resource use. This involves integration of food production and processing chains and reduction of the use of water, nutrient and energy resources by recycling. MFCs can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and optimising water use, and at the same time increase local food security.