Recent world events have put incredible strains on the global food system resulting in a major crisis in terms of food security. Here in Canada, you have probably heard about concerns that food retail companies are making record profits as food price inflation outpaces inflation in the broader economy. Globally, world hunger has increased sharply since before the pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine contributed to sharp price increases and heightened volatility on world food markets. Today, upwards of 811 million people face chronic undernourishment around the world while nearly 2.4 billion people face moderate or severe food insecurity and over 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.
These are alarming figures, especially given that food systems are deeply embedded in ecological systems that are themselves under threat. For example, food systems are one of the leading sources of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, while at the same time food systems are increasingly vulnerable to climatic change as well as disruptions caused by economic and political change. In the past, standard responses to food crises have been to ramp up food production on the idea that more food will lower prices and ensure all are well fed. But this approach has not been effective in ending hunger, and research shows it can cause enormous environmental and social problems.
What role can science play in addressing the current global food crisis in ways that protect those who are most marginalized and safeguard the natural environment? This is a question that has weighed heavily on my mind over the past 3 and a half years since I joined the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN), which is a science – policy interface body that advises the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (UN CFS) that advises governments on policy responses to food insecurity.
Since I joined the HLPE-FSN in late 2019, the world has been wracked by food crises triggered first by the Covid 19 pandemic and then the war in Ukraine. In my work with this body, I have taken a lead role in writing a synthesis report (Food Security and Nutrition: Building a Global Narrative towards 2030) on how to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal # 2 – to end hunger and promote sustainable food systems – and on issues papers on the impact of Covid 19 on food security and nutrition around the world and on the impact of the military conflict in Ukraine on global food security.
In this work I have had a front row seat to policymaking processes at the international level at the CFS around food security and nutrition issues. While there is wide agreement that food systems need to be transformed to make them more sustainable and to reach those who are the most vulnerable, there are deep divisions regarding the best pathway to achieve these goals. These differences often stem from the fact that food systems serve multiple, overlapping roles in society. Not only is food a basic human need and access to it a universally accepted human right, food systems also provide livelihoods for nearly one third of humanity, are deeply entrenched in ecosystems, and serve as a cornerstone for cultural practices around the world. On top of all of these functions, food is a commodity, meaning that market dynamics affect the ability of food systems to serve its other functions. The HLPE-FSN has suggested that we need new ways to understand food security that accept the importance of all of these functions.
Science-policy interfaces, like the HLPE-FSN, must navigate the complex dynamics generated the multiple functions of food systems by upholding key principles to ensure their legitimacy and the soundness of their advice to policymakers. It is important that scientific advisory bodies are independent and free from political interference. They must also be transparent and open, with their work made widely accessible to all. They must also be consultative, including with those who are most affected by hunger and malnutrition while also drawing on a range of knowledge and expertise holders, including indigenous and traditional knowledge holders. They must also evaluate evidence from a range of scientific disciplines and lived experiences and evaluate evidence considering goals that serve the public interest. These are the aims and goals of the HLPE-FSN, and I am proud to serve as a member and Vice Chair of this body along with outstanding colleagues. Together, we aim to provide governments with balanced and evidence-based policy advice to address the diverse challenges facing food systems today.