Urban challenges and opportunities to promote sustainable food security through smart cities and the 4th industrial revolution

The several changes happening in environmental, social, economic, technological and geopolitical spheres of our society result in countless risks, challenges and opportunities for human development. The global population crosses 7.7 billion with the loss of biodiversity, increasing pressure on food, water, and energy resources. The migration of people from rural to urban in large scale is a matter of concern; as the global urban population will almost reach 68% by 2050, approximately 6 billion. A very high concentration of people living in urban areas and growth projection pose a serious challenge for large cities for vulnerability. Amongst the several challenges, food security will be a serious issue for the future of cities. In this context, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and movement towards creating Smart Cities have to provide solutions and opportunities to deal with those challenges. In this opinion paper, we seek to discuss the future of cities, with a holistic vision of several actions to deal with food security challenges in urban centers.