Urban food policies: decentralized cooperation and African cities

The article introduces Urban Food Policies (UFP) in the field of decentralized cooperation as a relatively new field of work, exchange and action-oriented research within and between cities, and local authorities in the global North and South. Indeed, a plethora of cities have been implementing actions with different implementation mechanisms indicating that UFP can generate positive stimuli, new perspectives, and reciprocal benefits. The article examines a number of ongoing international projects to then focus on the relevant programs developed in Italy and on the African continent, looking into aspects of governance, outlining essential features of decentralized cooperation and of these ongoing development projects, and concluding with potential prospects in this area.