Re-Territorialización De Las Prácticas Locales Agro-Alimentarias En Áreas Semiurbanas Del Cantón Cuenca

There Is An Urgent Need To Improve The Social And Ecological Sustainability Of Food Systems, Make Further Progress On Related Un Development Goals And Go Beyond The Crisis Of Industrialized, Globalized Food Systems Characterized By The Dual Presence Of 815 Million Undernourished And Yet One Billion Overfed People. Instead Of The Ongoing De-Territorialization Of Food Systems - Which Separates Agriculture From Its Ecological Environment, Local Food Consumption And The Health Properties Of Its Products - Efforts Are Underway To Re-Territorialize Agriculture - To Re-Link Agriculture To Its Ecological Environment, Shorten Producer-Consumer Relations, And Re-Endow Agro-Food Products With Healthier Properties. This Is The Case Also In Ecuador With A Wide Variety Of Territorially Embedded Food Systems Facilitated By Its Range Of Agro-Ecological Zones. The General Objective Of This Project Will Be To Map The Diverse Sustainable Agro-Food Initiatives And Practices In Cuenca'S Semi-Urban Regions, Indicating Concrete Opportunities To Reinforce These Through Reconstructed Socio-Technical Developments. The Project Will Apply A Critical Socio-Theoretical Research Methodology Built Upon A Socio-Spatial Analysis Of Diverse Food Initiatives And Critical Re-Constructivist Analysis Of Agro-Food Technologies. The Project Will Result In 1) Improved Living Conditions For Participants Of Diverse Food Initiatives; 2) Healthier Food Products For Consumers In Cuenca; 3) Scientific Insights Into The Transition Towards Sustainable, Local Food Systems, Disseminated Through Scientific Articles Published In Peer-Reviewed Journals; 4) Inter-University Collaboration (Cuenca And Wageningen Universities); And 5) Policy Recommendations For Municipal And Regional Entities To Realize A More Social And Sustainable Food Supply In The City And Semi-Urban Regions Of Cuenca.