from Rome, Italy

Introduction

These past months we have seen an increase in natural disasters that had a direct impact on the production of fresh food. According to experts’ predictions, the upcoming years are expected to be challenging and crucial in terms of food production.

The current food system feeds the great majority of the world population and supports the livelihoods of over 1 billion people.  But it has become unsustainable both for the planet and the people. 

As a matter of  fact, today food systems account for up to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and are failing to reach 828 million people, who are living in hunger. 

In the face of destabilizing global shocks from conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events, transforming the food system into a net-zero infrastructure that feeds everyone is more urgent than ever.

In this framework,  governments around the world are trying to find solutions to reshape food systems to make them more resilient to future shocks and more sustainable in the long run.

The definition of Food Security

Based on the 1996 World Food Summit, food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Within this definition, there are four elements that build the framework of food and nutrition security:

1. Availability:  this means the physical existence of food. For instance, at the national level, food availability is a combination of domestic food production, commercial food imports and exports. At the household level, food can be grown at home or purchased from local markets.
2. Access:  this refers to when all households have enough resources to obtain food in sufficient quantity, quality and diversity for a nutritious diet.
3. Use and Utilization:  households decide what to buy based on their consumption habits. By utilization, we refer to the ability of the human body to take food and convert it.  Both combined can determine the nutritional status of individuals.
4. Stability of the other three dimensions over time: adverse weather conditions, political instability, or economic factors (unemployment, rising food prices) may have an impact on food security status in countries.

The ability to access nutritious, high-quality food is a fundamental right of every human being. The benefits of secure access to food can be wide-ranging, including: economic growth and job creation, poverty reduction, trade opportunities, an increased global security and stability and an overall improved health and healthcare.

But currently, the world is far from ensuring food security.

The main drivers for Food insecurity

On the other hand, according to FAO,  a person is food insecure when they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and active and healthy life. 

There are several causes for food insecurity:

1. Poverty:  families trapped in poverty, cannot afford nutrition, leading to undernourishment. Undernourishment further hinders people’s ability to earn more money and afford healthy food.
2. Climate change:  currently, 40% of the world’s landmass is arid, and rising temperatures will turn yet more of it into desert. At current rates, the amount of food that is grown today will feed only half of the population by 2050. It is also important to note that climate change tends to affect the poorest regions of the world the most. In fact, around 80% of the world’s population, most at risk of hunger due to crop failures and climate change, live in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
3. Urbanisation and population growth:  food demand rises as the population grows. Food production is being pushed ever further away from people as cities expand across productive land. The rise in population, with limited growth in the food available, means an increase in food insecurity.
4. Conflict and Wars: there is a direct impact of these elements on food production and supplies. A high level of food insecurity is prevalent in most countries where civil wars have occurred over the years, like Somalia or South-Sudan.  
5. Wastage of Food: FAO and UNEP report that 14% of the world’s food is lost after harvest and before it reaches stores. While, 17% of food is wasted at retail stores and by consumers, especially at home. This brings to an amount of  1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted annually, which could feed 1.26 billion hungry people each year. 

Food insecurity as an interrelated dimension

The effects of food security intersect in all stages of the growth of a person.

Countries like India suffer from constant food shortages and distribution problems, leading to chronic and widespread hunger among a significant number of people. It affects both social and financial well-being, including behavioral problems.

Food insecurity, therefore, enables malnutrition, making children weaker, more vulnerable and less able to fight common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, malaria and measles. 

Young people and adults alike lament the negative effects of food insecurity. Food insecurity leads to a lack of energy, stunted growth, delayed maturation, reduced cognitive ability,  learning ability, resistance to infections and disease and reduced life expectancy. It also increases maternal mortality and low birth weight.

Moreover, food-insecure people may feel alienated, stressed and insecure, and experience reduced productivity, lower labor force participation, academic performance and lower income levels. It can also lead to political instability in already insecure areas.

Urgent action is needed

The global food security challenge is straightforward: by 2050, the world must feed 9 billion people. There will be a 60% increase in food demand compared to today. As part of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030, the UN has set ending hunger, improving food security and nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture as its second goal.

But a lot more needs to be done. Some of the solutions that have to be further stressed are the  investment in smallholder farmers and in climate-smart agriculture. In fact, governments and other investors should invest in broader systemic reforms that make farmers more resilient to shocks. This will help also to the increasing of agricultural productivity and incomes, to adapt and build resilience to climate change, and reduce and/or remove greenhouse gas emissions. 

Moreover, as most of the farming lands are drained of their natural fertility levels, governments and relevant agricultural agencies have developed strategies and programs to improve crop yields, such as soil management and land improvement.

Another top priority is in the elimination of  food waste, as well as ensuring  universal school meals.  School feeding programs can promote healthy eating, support local farmers, and free up family income for wider prosperity. According to WFP, communities get back $9 for every $1 invested in school meals.

Achieving food security will require effective governance systems and the involvement of stakeholders across sectors, with key principles focusing on empowered participation, transparency, equity and accountability.

Appropriate governance mechanisms should be put in place at the regional and national levels.  At the global level, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) provides a unique platform for food security governance. 

50th Committee on Food Security (CFS) organized by FAO

The annual CFS, was held in  Rome from October 10-13, 2022. Hosted by FAO and supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) the CFS 50 saw a record number of high-level officials and delegates.

During the meeting participants discusses how to accelerate and revitalize action towards the SDG-2 (Zero Hunger) based on the seven key issues affecting food security and nutrition identified by the report recently released by the High Level Panel on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE). According to the HLPE the are seven key priorities that must be urgently addressed to ensure food security:

1.  Building resilient and equitable supply chains for food security and nutrition
2.  Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural   transformation.
3.  Analyze conflict and fragility in food systems.
4.  Revitalizing climate policies for food security and nutrition
5.  Recognizing the role and rights of food system workers
6.  Creating a meaningful interface for diverse food security and nutrition knowledge systems, technologies and practices. 
7. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and other biological hazards that threaten food security and nutrition.  

The CFS is a clear example of how civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders can strengthen and adopt a multistakeholder and systemic approach to address food insecurity, malnutrition, and unsustainable agriculture.

But in the light of the urgent need of transforming our current food system, another major event this year tackled food security related to climate change: the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27)

COP27: Food and agriculture in discussion for the first time

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) was held from November 6th to 18th 2022 in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt). More than 92 heads of state and an estimated 35,000 representatives, or delegates of 190 countries attended the Conference.  

Today’s food sector has the potential to play a key role in ensuring carbon sequestration through good agriculture practices.  The food system needs to be reshaped into stop being a major cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Although the relationship between climate change and changes in food systems seems fairly clear, food and agriculture were never on the agenda or negotiations of  COP before the Sharm el-Sheikh Conference.

In fact, for the first time ever, there was a Day dedicated to Agriculture and Food Systems organized by the COP and a pavilion entirely dedicated to food systems. 

One of the main objectives of the food system pavilion was to identify actions, strategies and solutions across the food value chain that could lead to a transformation towards healthier, more resilient, and more equitable food systems.

Coalition members of the Food Systems Pavilion underscored the potential for $4.5 trillion that can be generated by transforming the world’s food systems by 2030. This can create new economic opportunities, and contribute to achieving net zero, sustainable and healthier food and bring social justice everywhere.

The main achievements from COP27

One of the main highlights was the strengthening of the UNFCCC principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). The principle states that all countries have a responsibility to combat global environmental degradation, but, not all states are equal.  Richer countries need to invest more money in mitigating climate change compared to developing countries.

Another key element was the launch of the  Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST). By 2030, it aims to improve climate finance contributions to transform agriculture and food systems and maintain a 1.5-degree pathway while maintaining food and economic security.

Still in regard to food and agriculture, political, business and philanthropic leaders have  made significant commitments and a clear roadmap for food system reform, focused  not only on funding, but also on supporting smallholder farmers and adopting digital technologies in agriculture

Moreover, the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) was launched. It aims to unite action by governments, businesses, and community leaders. The goal is to halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Last but not least, more than 150 countries have signed up to a global pact to reduce methane emissions. As part of global efforts to limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, pledges are being made to cut emissions of powerful greenhouse gases by 30% this decade.

COP 27: not enough engagement 

There was a general disappointment regarding the target to deliver $100 billion a year of finance for climate action in the developing world, as it still hasn’t been met yet, despite that target had been for 2020 onwards.

That called for an improvement of the global development banks, such as the World Bank, to move more investment away from fossil fuels and to significantly increase the financing of renewable energy generation and supply in developing countries.

Moreover, African countries have called for significantly more funding for climate change adaptation. The international community must respond directly and to the extent necessary to this demand. Only 3% of current global climate finance targets agriculture and land use. Much more is needed to ensure sustainable food production.

Many public, private and civil society actors called for agriculture to have a stronger presence and voice in and out of negotiations in Egypt. Also during the negotiations themselves, a very significant agreement was reached by the negotiators of the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KWJA), with the adoption by the COP to extend agriculture on the agenda for another four years.

If the first steps to include food systems transformation were given COP27, unfortunately, failed to really deliver clear objectives and finances to ensure a real pathway to succeed the transistor food systems.

The overall conclusion of COP27 is that the governments of the most polluting countries are not prone to commit to contributing their fair share to halving global emissions by 2030 and meeting the 1.5°C target.

But governments can still get take advance of the signals of change coming out of COP27 through ambitious national action in the year ahead, coming into COP28 next year prepared to take transformative multilateral action where it takes.

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Autore dell’articolo*: Dea Nicoletta Continolo. Dottoressa in Relazioni Internazionali presso la LUMSA e studentessa del Master HOPE presso la Social Change School

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