Featuring real-world cases from cities across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, this online exchange will showcase practical approaches to connecting smallholder farmers with urban food markets while strengthening resilient city-region food systems.

The ICLEI CityFood Interest Group on Transforming Food Markets, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), will host this webinar exploring practical approaches to connecting smallholder farmers with urban food markets. Open to city practitioners working on food systems, as well as partners interested in sustainable food markets and local food supply chains, the session will provide insights and practical examples from cities worldwide.

Smallholder farmers play a critical role in feeding cities, supporting livelihoods, and enabling access to healthy diets within planetary boundaries. Yet they often face multiple barriers, from climate impacts and rising transportation costs to limited access to information, technology, and urban markets. Strengthening urban-rural linkages and supporting well-functioning urban food markets can help address these challenges, creating opportunities for cities to better connect farmers with urban consumers while promoting more equitable and resilient food systems.

The webinar will feature insights from ICLEI CityFood and GAIN, alongside experts, city representatives, and local actors sharing experiences and innovations. These include initiatives supporting farmer cooperatives, digital tools connecting producers to markets, investments in logistics and distribution, land-use planning and zoning, and municipal campaigns promoting locally produced food.

Join us on 26 March. The webinar will be held in two time slots to accommodate participants worldwide:

Session I: 10:00 – 11:30 (UTC+1)
Presentations from Sandhikharka, Nepal; Durban, South Africa; and a city in Europe
Language: English
Register here

Session II: 15:30 – 17:00 (UTC+1)
Presentations from Fort Portal, Uganda; Pittsburgh, USA; and Porto Alegre, Brazil
Languages: English, Portuguese, and Spanish
Register here

About ICLEI CityFood Interest Group on Transforming Food Markets

In partnership with GAIN, the Interest Group brings together cities from Africa, Europe, North America, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean. It provides a platform for cities to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and collaborate on practical solutions for improving food markets. Expert-led training sessions and workshops cover key topics such as urban-rural linkages, food loss and waste, food hygiene and safety, gender and social inclusion, climate change impacts, and market governance and infrastructure.

Stay tuned as we announce more webinars highlighting the importance of food markets for healthy and resilient cities. Visit, cityfood-program.org