Study titled “Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in countdown to 2030” was conducted by Food Systems Countdown Initiative in collaboration with global experts/organizations including FAO, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition etc.
- It tracks 42 global food system indicators across five themes i.e.
- Diets, nutrition, and health; Environment, natural resources, and production; Livelihoods, poverty, and equity; Resilience; and Governance.
Key findings
- 20 indicators show positive trends. E.g. access to safe water, increased availability of vegetables, and conservation of plant and animal genetic resources etc.
- 7 indicators show significant decline. E.g. food price volatility, deteriorating government accountability, and reduced civil society participation etc.
- 15 indicators showed no change (undesirable). E.g. ultra-processed food sales, food systems emissions, agriculture water withdrawal etc.
- Governance indicators (Public access to information etc.) and resilience indicators (food price volatility etc.) are pivotal leverage points for catalyzing food system transformation.
About Food System
- Definition: It encompasses entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in production, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries.
- Challenges: Lack of access to safe, nutritious, and affordable diets; Geopolitical shocks disrupting supply chains; Climate change induced Pests attacks, and reduced crop productivity etc.