The potential for food production in the São Paulo metropolis, now in an interactive format

On the anniversary of the city of São Paulo, the Instituto Escolhas launched a platform on the agricultural production capacity of the metropolis, featuring new maps and open access data for downloading

On January 25th, to mark the occasion of the city of São Paulo’s 467th anniversary, the Instituto Escolhas launched its new platform on the agricultural potential of the area in and around the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Available at agriculturanametropole.escolhas.org, the online tool is a counterpart to the study “Mais perto do que se imagina: os desafios da produção de alimentos na metrópole de São Paulo”(“Closer than you think: the challenges for food production in the metropolis of São Paulo”)

Launched in November 2020 in partnership with Urbem and with support from Porticus, the study gathers data on the production, processing, distribution and consumption of food products within the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (RMSP), demonstrating that the production of vegetables and legumes in and around RMSP could feed 20 million people, or almost the entire local population.

With the Institute’s new interactive platform, it is now possible to analyze the many complexities of the territory and obtain a broader view of the study’s results.

According to Jaqueline Ferreira, Projects and Products Manager of the Instituto Escolhas, the platform’s objective is to encourage researchers, public and private managers and the public at large to access and explore this open data, which shows the enormous potential of food production in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.

“The platform features interactive maps and graphics, which show data from the metropolis of São Paulo’s food system, as well as the different nuances of urban and periurban agriculture in São Paulo. By working across the platform’s different layers, it is possible to see how food is distributed according to its degree of processing, point of sale or municipality of origin. Cross-referencing this information can be the starting point for several other analyses or projects about food in the metropolis,” stated Ferreira.

The platform’s highlights include interactive maps featuring data on public supply points (ranging from popular restaurants, such as Bom Prato, to municipal fresh food markets), as well as data on establishments by degree of processing (fresh or mixed, ultra-processed or agricultural) and on agricultural establishments themselves.

Another benefit of the platform with regards to the study is the possibility to download the open data analyses, which have been made available in the interests of potentially encouraging similar studies to be conducted in other parts of Brazil.

“Since we launched the summary, we have been contacted by several researchers seeking to adopt the same methodology for their own cities. Opening access to the study data is a way to share knowledge and help more municipalities conduct similar analyses, which is the first step towards strengthening agriculture inside and outside cities, producing healthier food closer to home and requiring less expenditure on transportation and supply,” concluded Ferreira.

The platform also provides information on the economic viability of the study’s four cited empirical cases, links to the summary and full report of the study, as well as the Institute’s policy brief on food production in large cities.