Alternative of the future

Urban agriculture is a livelihood strategy for many urban poor. Currently, half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and it is estimated that by the year 2020 more than 4.3 billion people will be looking for food, shelter and employment in the towns and cities around the world. Nevertheless, urban agriculture is not only little understood, but extension services barely take it into account. As a response, in 1999 Urban Harvest was launched, a CGIAR System-wide initiative to direct and coordinate the collective knowledge and technologies of the Future Harvest Centers towards strengthening urban and peri-urban agriculture. In Peru, Urban Harvest is working with scientists of CIP and of the Nutritional Research Institute to develop nutritionally balanced food for the poor families of Lima, using local raw materials and small urban gardens that handle biodiversity.