EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION: FOOD SECURITY
Prioritising food security and health equity
Ensuring access to nutritious food, tackling climate impacts and promoting balanced diets are crucial; immediate decisive action is needed to pave the way to a healthier, more prosperous world
Fžķ±Ě±ĻåƐ)ĮŇƣ±Ā , executive managing director, CGIAR
A s the G20 summit approaches, the urgent need to ensure access to healthy, nutritious food comes into focus. The link between climate, health and food is clear. We must improve agriculture, reduce emissions and create healthier diets for a sustainable future, benefiting global food security, public health and smallholder farmers, who produce a third of our food. ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD Significant progress has been made in producing more nutritious food, despite the impacts of climate change. Innovations such as drought-resistant crops that include durum wheat and barley production in Morocco, low-glycemic- index rice, improved soil management, education and advocacy have all contributed to more reliable food sources. Despite this progress, undernutrition and overnutrition remain critical issues. In the Global South, climate change worsens undernutrition, and in the
disparities drive nutrition issues. Rising diet-related illnesses strain healthcare systems. Poor diets contribute to malnutrition and non-communicable diseases, which cause over 73% of deaths globally. Healthy diets boost productivity, reduce healthcare costs and enhance economic contributions. Research also suggests that improving diets could save the lives of one in five people. A report by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research highlights significant disparities in healthy food access. In the Global North, economic inequality and processed foods drive food insecurity. In the Global South, poverty, climate change and poor infrastructure limit access to nutritious food, worsening health and hindering economic growth. These factors all underscore the need for better food policies and highlight why this must be a priority for the G20.
approaches. In the Global South, it is critical to prioritise investments in sustainable agriculture, improve infrastructure and strengthen local food systems. This involves scaling agrifood system innovations, expanding agricultural education and increasing market access for smallholder farmers. In the Global North, policies promoting healthier diets and reducing ultra-processed food consumption are essential. This may mean measures such as strong food-labelling regulations, taxes on unhealthy foods and subsidies for healthier options. Additionally, educational initiatives aimed at promoting nutrition and healthy living can foster lasting changes in behaviour. Global collaboration and investment in agricultural technologies, sustainable production methods and nutritional science can lead to better outcomes worldwide. International partnerships can also facilitate the exchange of best practices and resources. The African Development Bank’s Technologies for African Agricultural
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS Closing these gaps requires comprehensive, region-specific
Global North, poor food quality, accessibility and socioeconomic
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G20 BRAZIL: THE RIO SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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