FAO Director-General Visits Urban Food Hubs in Washington, DC
22 September 2022, Washington, DC - QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) visited an award-winning Urban Food Hub model in central Washington, D.C. led by the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). The university is the only exclusively Urban 1862 Land-Grant University, and also one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The Urban Food Hubs exemplify the University’s commitment to building capacity across the diverse communities in the city, especially in the “food desert” neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.
The FAO Director-General received a campus tour of the Van Ness food systems and green infrastructure facilities and Bertie Backus campus in Ward 5 of the District of Columbia food systems and green infrastructure facilities.
“Investing in urban food systems is critical to advancing sustainable agrifood systems. Especially with cities absorbing up to 70 percent of the food supply and producing 70 percent of global waste,” said Qu. “That’s why FAO launched the Green Cities Initiative in 2020 with the aim of improving the livelihood and well-being of urban populations in 100 cities in the world by strengthening collaboration with local and national authorities, city councils, the private sector, and academia.”
Fifty-five percent of the world’s population resides in urban areas and this number is expected to increase to 68 percent in low-income countries within the next 30 years. Urban populations already absorb the lion’s share of the global food supply and produce most of its waste.
“Our Urban Food Hubs are perfectly aligned with the Green Cities Initiative of FAO and its commitment to sustainable and just urban food systems. By linking food and green infrastructure it is possible to produce food with reduced water use and mitigate heat islands all at the same time” said Sabine O’Hara, Professor and founding Dean of the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences (CAUSES).
The CAUSES program focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to advance “Healthy Cities–Healthy People.” The Urban Food Hub model encompasses four key components:
- food production through rooftop gardens, bio-intensive raised bed gardens, as well as soil-less and indoor methods;
- food preparation in commercial kitchens and nutrition classes;
- food distribution to senior homes, school programs, and commercial niche markets;
- waste and water recovery to mitigate food waste and reduce stormwater runoff,
The program has extensive community outreach programs feeding low-income populations in senior homes, schools receiving U.S. Department of Agriculture school meals support, and youth programs.