Government sanctions National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Policy

Agricultural and livestock activity developed in urban and peri-urban areas aimed at the production and extraction of food and other goods for own consumption or for commercialization, urban and peri-urban agriculture now has a National Policy. Sanctioned by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the text of Law No. 14.935, published today in the Official Gazette, also bears the signatures of ministers Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture and Livestock), Waldez Góes (Regional Development), Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance ) and Nísia Trindade (Health).

Objectives

The National Policy provides for the implementation of seven objectives. Among them, expanding food and nutritional security for vulnerable populations, providing the occupation of free, idle and underused spaces, and generating alternative income and occupational activity for the urban and peri-urban population. The concept of “peri-urban” involves areas around the perimeter of cities. According to the text, urban and peri-urban agriculture must meet the requirements established in health and environmental legislation in the production, processing and marketing phases of food.

The initiative also intends to link food production in cities with public supply and purchasing programs for food in schools, daycare centers, hospitals, nursing homes, public food and nutritional security facilities, penal establishments, among others.

The policy also encourages family work, cooperatives, associations and organizations in the popular and solidarity economy. Furthermore, it provides for the promotion of environmental education, agroecological and organic food production and the dissemination of recycling and the use of organic waste, wastewater and rainwater.

Articulation 

In order for the objectives to be achieved, the Federal Government will act in conjunction with states, the Federal District and municipalities, in order to undertake actions that make the initiative successful. These actions include supporting municipalities in defining areas suitable for the development of urban and peri-urban agriculture and the conditions for its implementation, in addition to facilitating the acquisition of products from urban and peri-urban agriculture.

The National Policy will work to establish special lines of credit for urban and peri-urban farmers and their organizations and to expand access to existing lines of credit, aiming for investment in production, processing and the marketing structure. There will also be encouragement for the creation and support for the operation of open-air markets and other forms of direct marketing between urban and peri-urban farmers and consumers and the promotion of campaigns to value and publicize food and products from urban and peri-urban agriculture.