VIRTUAL Lisbon Livable Cities

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and rural land expropriation have led to massive migration, dispossessed farmers, and abandoned urban land in China. They cultivate food on abandoned land not only for self-consumption but also for income generation. Small-scale farmers and informal food producers provide affordable fresh food for urban households through informal food vending. Informal food activities are vital for building a resilient and equitable food system that can adapt to future challenges like the economic crisis and the pandemic. However, as bottom-up food initiatives, the contribution of informal food systems is always ignored. This study aims to optimize informal food systems with spatial planning instruments. It first analyzed the components and characteristics of informal food systems in China. Through field research in Nanjing, typical spatial settings of informal food systems were summarized. Then, this study analyzed the possibilities of integrating informal food systems into planning, including intersectionality solutions, food sovereignty, and the formalization of bottom-up initiatives. Finally, spatial planning instruments were proposed to optimize informal food systems. Protecting, formalizing, and transforming informal food systems by integrating related food activities into different types and levels of spatial planning are the main ways to improve informal food systems.