Food Systems And Food Security: Connecting The Dots For Achieving Sufficiency Of Healthy And Sustainable Foods

The policy brief tackles the formidable challenge of global food and nutrition security,exacerbated by a surging global population, climate change, and geopolitical unrest, highlightingthe urgent need for sustainable solutions as the world edges closer to a population of 10 billion.With over 258 million people across 58 countries facing acute food insecurity, a significantincrease from 193 million in 2021 (FSIN and Global Network Against Food Crises 2023:17), and a double burden of malnutrition affecting over 200 million children under five withundernutrition and over 137 million school-age children with overweight and obesity (UNICEFet al. 2023), the brief proposes the ‘Smart Food’ concept as a viable pathway. This approachharmonizes nutritional needs, environmental stewardship, and economic feasibility to forgeresilient, sustainable food systems capable of supporting the burgeoning global populace.Central to the brief is a multi-dimensional analysis spanning economic, social, and environmentalaspects of food security, enriched by global case studies. These include Australia’s carbonfarming, Bangladesh’s climate-smart agriculture, Brazil’s sustainable livestock practices, andurban agriculture in the US, showcasing the practical application and success of Smart Foodinitiatives across diverse contexts.Schools also represent an exceptionally cost-effective platform through which to deliverhigh impact programmes to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition, while at the same timecontributing to food systems transformation and sustainable development. School food andnutrition programmes can build bridges with local, sustainable, diversified food production,bringing together communities and transforming food, education, and social protection systems.The recommendations underscore the critical role of the G7 in leading this transformation,advocating for investments in climate-resilient agriculture and innovative food productiontechnologies. The brief envisions a G7-led international collaborative effort to transitiontowards sustainable and efficient food systems that not only meet the nutritional needs of theglobal population but also address the challenges posed by climate change.The recommendations also include increased, smarter investment in school food and nutritionpolicies and programmes. By taking a holistic approach to school food and nutrition programs,especially school meal programmes, strong linkages can be created between procuring foodfrom sustainable agriculture and farming, food and nutrition education, the school foodenvironment and the policy and legislation spheres.Set against the backdrop of a world grappling with climate change, malnutrition, and the needfor a substantial increase in food production, the G7’s commitment, evidenced by over 14 billionUS dollars allocated to combat global food insecurity, positions these nations as pivotal playersin the global effort. The adoption of Smart Food systems offers a promising avenue towardsreimagining global food security, leveraging the G7’s economic, technological, and diplomaticresources to spearhead a coordinated response to these pressing challenges.