Local agri-food systems in metropolitan regions: Analysis based on case studies of Milan and Paris

Abstract

Feeding the city is an issue of increasing importance because of the inadequate production capabilities of urban and peri-urban agri-food systems. In fact, urban areas are becoming more densely populated, and their impact in environmental, economic and social terms is becoming increasingly important, particularly in metropolitan contexts. For this reason, even in terms of food security, the analysis of alternative food systems that support or, in some cases, replace traditional systems is interesting. The spatial definition of a metropolitan food system and the quantification of its food supply and demand, are important for the territorial and the agricultural development of the metropolitan area. This paper proposes a tool to assess Metropolitan Agri-food Systems (MAS) and to analyse food demand and supply in the defined zone. In particular the methodology has been applied to two metropoles: Milan and Paris.