New Agricultural Parks regenerating city-region landscapes.

A new concept for Agricultural Parks (APs) can provide a powerful planning strategy to cut greenhouse emissions in addition to providing a wide range of social, health, economic, and environmental benefits. It is evident from current public debate that there is a need to transform the food system to enhance food security, food justice, food democracy and fair income for producers. At the same time there is a need to reduce food waste and negative environmental impact while also adapting to climate changes. However, the transition is slow. International politics, approaches and institutes are still sectoral, influenced by corporate lobbyists, while local initiatives are scattered. IPES-Food proposed a Long Food Movement where niche initiatives are empowered to contribute to transformation. For this the key field of play for transformation can be the local level and particularly, as a system of-sometimes long lasting-embedded socio-ecological proximity relationships-the city-region. Cities have fairly independent strategies, often determine the use of public land and can link local producers and consumers. Sectoral silos within city government can also be more easily overcome, especially if food policies are connected to climate actions. APs could be part of a city-region strategy for supporting agriculture and farmers. It does this by supporting transition toward more equitable and regenerative farming models by creating new distribution methods and developing local food hubs. It can also raise the profile of the farming profession and its connection to the city, as well as diversifying livelihoods and recovering urban/rural relationships by transferring towards agroecology. APs achieve this by acting as incubators for new ways of food cultivation, processing, and distribution. The approach allows integration of large areas, often with diverse ownership and legal status, into a single organisational entity. Although there is a longstanding interest in APs in some parts of Europe, it remains a little-known planning approach. By linking an analysis of existing APs with concepts for climate action, well-being and sustainable food systems, this paper aims to draft a model for the new agricultural park as an integral strategy and deepens the understanding of the benefits to people.