Rosario’s Climate-Smart Food Revolution

Rosario’s Sustainable Food Production Programme, including the Rosario’s Green Belt Project “Proyecto Cinturón Verde Rosario (PCVR)”, is a comprehensive municipal initiative that strengthens food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. It supports agroecological farming in the city’s peri-urban zones through land-use regulation, technical support, market access, and educational campaigns. In 2025, it continues to grow as a critical climate action strategy under the city's Local Climate Action Plan (PLAC 2030), providing a replicable model for integrating food systems and urban resilience.

Rosario’s sustainable food strategy has evolved through three major municipal programs, each expanding the city’s commitment to agroecology and food sovereignty.

The Urban Agriculture Program, “Programa de Agricultura Urbana (PAU)”, began in 2002 during Argentina’s economic crisis. It focused on food security, creating urban gardens, seed banks, and training spaces for vulnerable populations, while introducing agroecology as a public policy.

In 2016, Rosario launched the Green Belt Project, “Proyecto Cinturón Verde Rosario (PCVR)” to scale agroecological production in peri-urban areas. Operating in non-urbanizable zones, the PCVR supports 66 producers with training, compost, seeds, and legal assistance. In 2024, it prioritized those transitioning to agroecology and provided emergency inputs following climate-related crop losses.

The most recent phase, the Sustainable Food Production Programme, “Programa de Producción Sustentable de Alimentos (2024–2027”), unifies urban and peri-urban food production under a single framework. It strengthens land-use protections (APPA), expands circular economy practices, and reinforces local food systems through short supply chains and improved infrastructure.

Urban agriculture continues across seven municipal districts, with over 180 gardeners and 300 families participating in municipal huertas and community-based programs.

These activities are coordinated through the Executive Committee: “Comité Ejecutivo de Coordinación y Acción (CECA)”, integrating public health, environment, and economic development efforts.

The program is embedded and guided by a strong legal framework including, Rosario’s Climate Action Plan (PLAC 2030) and several land-use ordinances that protect and promote the land for sustainable food production, aim to reduce gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Monitoring, participatory certification (“Sistema de Garantía Participativas (SPG)”), and partnerships with universities, research institutes, and international organizations ensure scientific rigor and policy coherence.

A new Agroecological Agrarian Park, currently under development, will serve as a model site for production, biodiversity restoration, training, and public engagement—marking a new phase in Rosario’s leadership in sustainable food systems.

Rosario’s program is sustained through a multi-level partnership model:

• Academic and research institutions including Universidad Nacional de Rosario, INTA Oliveros, and CONICET
• International organizations and projects including FAO, ICLEI, Earth Foundation, and Nexus SUGI
• Local producer cooperatives and civil society groups such as Suelo Común, Taller Ecologista, and Bioleft
• Participatory Guarantee Commissions that certify and support local agroecological producers

The initiative includes a broad public engagement strategy aimed at building understanding and support for agroecological practices:

• Public markets and fairs in plazas and universities
• School-based workshops, seed exchanges, and gardening classes
• Agroecology Month events and guided tours through urban and peri-urban farms
• Film screenings, documentary events, and agroecology campaigns
• Collaborations with tourism, health, and cultural programs to reach diverse audiences

The program is financed through a combination of municipal funding, international cooperation, and in-kind support:

• City budgets for staffing, infrastructure, technical assistance, and land acquisition
• Ocasionally, International funding via Earth Foundation, FAO, and JPI Urban Europe
• Provision of seeds, tools, compost, and irrigation equipment to producers
• Tax incentives and advisory services for landowners leasing for agroecological production
• Support for direct producer-consumer marketing infrastructure and logistics

The program delivers broad and measurable benefits across social, ecological, and economic dimensions:

Socially, it empowers small and landless farmers, especially women and migrants, through secure access to land, training, and income-generating opportunities. It supports food education and strengthens community resilience through collective production and participatory governance.

Ecologically, the program regenerates soil health, improves water retention, restores green spaces, and reduces pesticide and fertilizer use. Agroecological methods have been shown to dramatically improve infiltration and reduce flooding risk, contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation.

Economically, local producers gain access to stable markets through municipal infrastructure and short supply chains, leading to higher and fairer income. The program also generates green jobs in production, processing, distribution, and education, while reducing the city’s dependency on volatile external food systems.

Despite its success, the initiative still contends with structural and operational challenges:

• Land tenure remains informal for many producers, limiting investment and long-term planning
• Infrastructure in peri-urban areas (roads, drainage, water access) is insufficient and vulnerable to climate shocks
• Extreme weather events caused significant losses in 2024, especially due to flooding and frost
• Lack of mechanization limits productivity and labor efficiency; pilot programs like the Chango micro-tractor are still being tested
• Continued urban expansion, illegal land use and insecurity pose threats to protected agricultural zones

Rosario’s approach demonstrates how local governments can integrate sustainable food production into urban planning and climate policy. By combining land-use regulation, agroecology, producer empowerment, and public awareness, the city has built a resilient, equitable, and regenerative food system.

What makes Rosario’s model replicable is its modularity: cities can adopt key elements—such as participatory certification, urban-periurban land protection, and decentralized markets—based on their own institutional and territorial context.

Rosario proves that cities can lead in the transformation of food systems, not only by feeding their populations more sustainably, but by turning food production into a driver of environmental restoration, climate resilience, and social inclusion.

https://prizeforcities.org/project/sustainable-food-production-rosario

https://agroecologicalurbanism.org/conversation-starters/the-huerta-urban-agriculture-programme-rosario

https://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1416707/

Maria del Pilar Bueno Rubial
Undersecretariat for Climate Change and Just Ecological Transition
Municipality of Rosario
mbueno0@rosario.gob.ar     

Andrea Paoloni
General Directorate of Climate Action and Environmental Quality - Municipality of Rosario
andre.paoloni@gmail.com
 

Fernando Bertoni
Deputy Director General of Climate Action and Environmental Quality - Municipality of Rosario
fberton0@rosario.gov.ar