The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is supporting Brazil with the establishment of green spaces and farms in and around cities. The process is known as urban and peri-urban agriculture. It can help Brazil improve food availability, bolster community resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions when implemented into government policies. Experts say this can provide a much-needed boon to the country, which has 27 million people grappling with food insecurity.
“Urban and peri-urban agriculture can help feed urban dwellers while reducing extreme temperatures in cities, preventing floods and providing a green belt to halt urban sprawl,“ said Ruth Do Coutto, Chief, Mitigation Branch in UNEP's Climate Change Division. “This can unlock economic and social benefits and improve quality of life in and around cities in Brazil and beyond.”
To maximize the potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Brazil, UNEP is working with government entities, academia and community stakeholders.
Integrating urban and peri-urban agriculture into policymaking
In partnership with the Rio de Janeiro State Government and the University of Campinas, a UNEP study published in 2023 found that policies to provide fresh, local produce to public schools, hospitals, prisons and more can significantly reduce carbon emissions from food importation. Integrating this urban and peri-urban agriculture could also create nearly 4,000 new jobs and boost gross domestic product by US$12.8 million.
UNEP also collaborated with the federal government to develop a national guide to assess and develop urban and peri-urban agriculture agendas at the municipal level. The guide, finalized and disseminated with the help of the Center for Sustainability Studies of the Getulio Vargas Foundation, serves as a roadmap for cities across Brazil to integrate urban and peri-urban agriculture into their urban planning strategies. The guide was the basis for two presidential decrees – one established a national urban and peri-urban agriculture programme, and another created a national strategy for food and nutritional security in cities.
Meanwhile, UNEP research with the Instituto Escolhas think-tank showed that converting unproductive lands into organic farms in São Paulo City could supply vegetables to 13 million citizens. Another study from the group suggested that innovative practices such as agroforestry and urban farming could improve livelihoods and environmental resilience in rapidly urbanizing regions.
These cases exemplify UNEP's role in convening collaboration between Brazilian ministries, academia and civil society to upscale urban and peri-urban agriculture and its social, economic and environmental benefits.
Embracing sustainable agriculture at community level
In communities across Brazil, individuals like Agnalto Terra are showcasing the power of urban and peri-urban agriculture on daily life. In Marica, a municipality located in Rio de Janeiro state, Terra is transforming agricultural production through the agroecological park of Araçatuba. For three years, the agricultural technician and eco-pedagogist has nurtured 38 productive gardens, fostering a vibrant community where diverse horticultural species thrive.
His urban garden model provides a local source of food and teaches citizens how to plant and cultivate crops in their homes. His message resonates: it's not just about providing food – it's about community resilience and transforming even the smallest spaces into fertile grounds for growth.
Experts say engaging in and advocating for urban and peri-urban agriculture at both the community and policy level is important to help cities become more resilient and sustainable while providing safe and nutritious food to urban dwellers. UNEP’s mission to promote the development of urban and peri-urban agriculture in cities extends beyond Brazil's borders – it includes work in Kampala, Uganda and Semarang, Indonesia, among other cities.
UNEP is at the forefront of supporting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C, and aiming for 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To do this, UNEP has developed the Sectoral Solution, a roadmap to reducing emissions across sectors in line with the Paris Agreement commitments and in pursuit of climate stability. The six sectors identified are: energy; industry; agriculture and food; forests and land use; transport; and buildings and cities.
