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Home Foreword
Stories Cultivating a Brighter Future: How CIP’s Strategic Vision Transformed People’s Lives Biodiversity story Mobilizing genetic diversity to enrich agroecologies and livelihoods Crop improvement story Developing and delivering superior varieties that meet changing farmer and consumer demands Regenerative improvement story Improving farmers’ productivity and income, while building resilience in agricultural systems for sustainable and equitable growth Urban Food Systems story ADAPTING AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE URBAN DIETS AND LIVELIHOODS
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With over two-thirds of the global population projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, the interplay between urbanization and agricultural innovation becomes critical for creating productive and sustainable cities. The CIP2030 initiative is focused on adapting agricultural and food innovations to enhance
urban diets and livelihoods to address the challenges of rapid urbanization and its impact on ecosystems and societies.
The agriculture and food sectors are poised to play a central role in this transition, necessitating a focus on feeding, nourishing, and employing the urban majority while safeguarding environmental and human health. CIP2030 responds to the demands of cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, addressing key challenges
such as making urban food production efficient and sustainable, upgrading informal food market chains to reduce waste and enhance safety, creating work opportunities for urban youth and women, and integrating urban development planning with investments in agricultural, food, and environmental infrastructure.
CIP2030 aims to leverage solid partnerships and research collaborations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, venturing into novel partnerships with urban entrepreneurs and municipal stakeholders to capitalize on data-rich, digitized urban environments.
Urban agriculture in action: How Peru’s communal kitchens became lifelines
On the outskirts of Lima, Peru, a remarkable grassroots initiative emerged during the Pandemic in 2020. It stands as a testament to the resilience of a low-income urban slum heavily dependent on itinerant work for their daily needs. When the work dried up and bodegas closed, a group of neighbors, predominantly women, showed incredible resilience. They pooled their resources to feed their families and, eventually, their neighbors. The Ollas Communes, loosely translated as communal kitchens, were born.
Julia Burges, established her Olla Commune in Manchay, when the community was confined to their homes and unable to go to work. “We got together eight mothers, which accounted for 38 people, and from there, we started to distribute the little bit of food we could contribute and cook,” said Burges. “The number of mothers increased daily, so we went to the markets to ask for donations of vegetables that were not sold since people were unable to shop. The products were available in the markets in large quantities.”
Since the pandemic, these kitchens have remained lifelines for many, providing meals to the elderly, ill, or otherwise vulnerable. The impact of these communal kitchens is profound. “During the pandemic, we attended to 138 people per day, children, elderly, single mothers, and people with illnesses,” Burges said. “Now, there are also people who are not from our group, but they are our neighbors, and we provide them with food.”
While the growth in patrons clearly shows the need for Ollas Communes, the city has at best, ignored the citizen-driven initiatives, or worse, hampered their activities. “Right now, we are struggling to have vegetables and tubers because they are not provided by the state; they only provide staples for stew, like rice and cereals, and it is not sufficient for a child to be fed daily with only cereal and rice. You must complement that with meat,” said Burges.
Again, Burges and fellow resourceful citizens found a way to access fresh produce, a serious problem during the pandemic that caused widespread nutrient deficiency. Access to fresh produce, especially during the pandemic, posed a serious nutrition crisis. The Lurin Valley, where many of the Ollas Communes are located, is a peri-urban agricultural area, but labor is in short supply. The communities around the Ollas Communes stepped in and helped
the farmers during the harvests and, in return, were paid with fresh vegetables.
Altogether Ollas Communes have become vital centers of community support and learning. This emphasis on community support makes these kitchens more than just a place for meals. CIP has provided practical training to ensure the success of these local entrepreneurial food kitchens. Training has ranged from aeroponic production of vegetables for their use and to sell at the local market to small business management skills.
“There are always a lot of vegetables in the farmers’ fields that have imperfections and cannot be sold in the supermarket,” said Angela Fuentes, CIP associate scientist and innovation and entrepreneurship specialist. “These vegetables are perfectly good but might have scratches or bumps.”
Fuentes indicated that about 30% of the harvest is lost to such imperfections. By redirecting these “ugly vegetables” to the Ollas Communes, they reduced food waste and improved the nutrition of these vulnerable communities.
“We have learned through the training how to organize our finances in our family or how to handle food, meat and vegetables,” Burges said.
The track record of success with the Ollas Communes and through similar projects in other countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, and the Philippines, where communities have successfully addressed food security issues, shows how CIP’s food system experience can be leveraged to improve the livelihoods of communities.
“It’s more than just potatoes,” said Fuentes. “CIP has moved beyond our crops and can impact urban agriculture and food systems in general.”
The Ollas Communes exemplify how local initiatives can benefit from the experience of organizations like the International Potato Center to create sustainable food systems. These kitchens show the power of collective action and resourcefulness, proving that when communities come together, they can overcome hunger and improve their lives, one meal at a time.
Adapting agricultural and food innovations to improve urban diets and livelihoods
With over two-thirds of the global population projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, the interplay between urbanization and agricultural innovation becomes critical for creating productive and sustainable cities. The CIP2030 initiative is focused on adapting agricultural and food innovations to enhance
urban diets and livelihoods to address the challenges of rapid urbanization and its impact on ecosystems and societies.
The agriculture and food sectors are poised to play a central role in this transition, necessitating a focus on feeding, nourishing, and employing the urban majority while safeguarding environmental and human health. CIP2030 responds to the demands of cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, addressing key challenges
such as making urban food production efficient and sustainable, upgrading informal food market chains to reduce waste and enhance safety, creating work opportunities for urban youth and women, and integrating urban development planning with investments in agricultural, food, and environmental infrastructure.
CIP2030 aims to leverage solid partnerships and research collaborations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, venturing into novel partnerships with urban entrepreneurs and municipal stakeholders to capitalize on data-rich, digitized urban environments.
Urban agriculture in action: How Peru’s communal kitchens became lifelines
On the outskirts of Lima, Peru, a remarkable grassroots initiative emerged during the Pandemic in 2020. It stands as a testament to the resilience of a low-income urban slum heavily dependent on itinerant work for their daily needs. When the work dried up and bodegas closed, a group of neighbors, predominantly women, showed incredible resilience. They pooled their resources to feed their families and, eventually, their neighbors. The Ollas Communes, loosely translated as communal kitchens, were born.
Julia Burges, established her Olla Commune in Manchay, when the community was confined to their homes and unable to go to work. “We got together eight mothers, which accounted for 38 people, and from there, we started to distribute the little bit of food we could contribute and cook,” said Burges. “The number of mothers increased daily, so we went to the markets to ask for donations of vegetables that were not sold since people were unable to shop. The products were available in the markets in large quantities.”
Since the pandemic, these kitchens have remained lifelines for many, providing meals to the elderly, ill, or otherwise vulnerable. The impact of these communal kitchens is profound. “During the pandemic, we attended to 138 people per day, children, elderly, single mothers, and people with illnesses,” Burges said. “Now, there are also people who are not from our group, but they are our neighbors, and we provide them with food.”
While the growth in patrons clearly shows the need for Ollas Communes, the city has at best, ignored the citizen-driven initiatives, or worse, hampered their activities. “Right now, we are struggling to have vegetables and tubers because they are not provided by the state; they only provide staples for stew, like rice and cereals, and it is not sufficient for a child to be fed daily with only cereal and rice. You must complement that with meat,” said Burges.
Again, Burges and fellow resourceful citizens found a way to access fresh produce, a serious problem during the pandemic that caused widespread nutrient deficiency. Access to fresh produce, especially during the pandemic, posed a serious nutrition crisis. The Lurin Valley, where many of the Ollas Communes are located, is a peri-urban agricultural area, but labor is in short supply. The communities around the Ollas Communes stepped in and helped the farmers during the harvests and, in return, were paid with fresh vegetables.
Altogether Ollas Communes have become vital centers of community support and learning. This emphasis on community support makes these kitchens more than just a place for meals. CIP has provided practical training to ensure the success of these local entrepreneurial food kitchens. Training has ranged from aeroponic production of vegetables for their use and to sell at the local market to small business management skills.
“There are always a lot of vegetables in the farmers’ fields that have imperfections and cannot be sold in the supermarket,” said Angela Fuentes, CIP associate scientist and innovation and entrepreneurship specialist. “These vegetables are perfectly good but might have scratches or bumps.”
Fuentes indicated that about 30% of the harvest is lost to such imperfections. By redirecting these “ugly vegetables” to the Ollas Communes, they reduced food waste and improved the nutrition of these vulnerable communities.
“We have learned through the training how to organize our finances in our family or how to handle food, meat and vegetables,” Burges said.
The track record of success with the Ollas Communes and through similar projects in other countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, and the Philippines, where communities have successfully addressed food security issues, shows how CIP’s food system experience can be leveraged to improve the livelihoods of communities.
“It’s more than just potatoes,” said Fuentes. “CIP has moved beyond our crops and can impact urban agriculture and food systems in general.”
The Ollas Communes exemplify how local initiatives can benefit from the experience of organizations like the International Potato Center to create sustainable food systems. These kitchens show the power of collective action and resourcefulness, proving that when communities come together, they can overcome hunger and improve their lives, one meal at a time.