By Dr.Dhanush Dinesh, Founder and Director, Clim-Eat
This week I had the chance to visit Egypt in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP27, which will take place in 100 days in Sharm el-Sheikh.
During the trip, I had the chance to visit farmers in the villages of el-Gehad and el-Fedda, a couple of hours away from Cairo.
Growing maize and raising goats, the farmers are already facing tough conditions: a desert-like landscape and temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, with people, animals, water and crops all under stress.
But they are also making efforts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change, which threatens to make things even warmer and drier.
They are reclaiming desert and turning it into cultivable land through combinations of technology, inputs and changes in water use.
While these farmers battle with the elements, demand for food is growing in Egypt, particularly in its cities.
I stayed in Cairo which, with over 20 million inhabitants, is home to more people than the Netherlands, where I live. The city’s population is projected to reach 38 million by 2050.
So, the whole time during my visit, the question on my mind was: how can we feed a growing population in cities like Cairo?
On the same visit, I had the chance to join the consultations on sustainable cities hosted by Egypt’s COP27 Presidency.
My key message was that whether it is rocket on rooftops or basil in bomb shelters, urban agriculture is booming, and offers a huge opportunity for boosting food security and reducing the environmental impact of food production.
It is not just an opportunity for Egypt: the UN estimates 70% of the world will live in urban areas by 2050.
But the promise of urban agriculture is likely to be highly context-specific and policies to support the right kinds of investments will be key.
That is made clear in a new Urban Agriculture Discussion Starter that my organisation, Clim-Eat, jointly produced with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the University of Vermont.
It is the first in a series on hot topics related to the future of the food systems that we will publish in the lead up to COP27.
One of the most striking figures in the report relates to the need for an estimated 2.1 billion acres of additional land – an area the size of Brazil – to cope with increased demand for food in the coming years.
For me, this means urban agriculture is more than just an opportunity; it is a necessity.
The analysis makes clear that while producing food in towns and cities holds enormous potential, the story is complex. Policymakers need to be aware that in some contexts, urban agriculture might actually add to the climate change burden.
The Discussion Starter outlines where the challenges lie, aiming to support informed decisions and smarter investments that can benefit both people and the planet.
It covers a critical analysis of a range of urban agriculture approaches, from high-tech interventions like hydroponics, to more small-scale, traditional-style farming methods.
To help guide policymaking, the authors also make an urgent call for better information about urban agriculture.
This includes the need for data on who is practicing it and where, and its contribution to food security and reducing the carbon footprint of food production.
In the lead up to COP27, Egypt has an opportunity to highlight the importance and tap into the opportunities in urban agriculture, which will be crucial to feed cities like Cairo in a changing climate.
