How to transform our food systems to ensure food security and healthy diets for all

At the moment the World Food Day, celebrated on October 16th, begins to spark discussions about the state of nutrition and food security in the world today, we can make two general observations. First, the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on food security will be global and long-lasting. Second, some of the biggest food challenges existed long before the pandemic, and while they were exacerbated by the new coronavirus, they were not created by it.

Either way, we are not moving closer to the zero-hunger future that world leaders dream of. The total number of people suffering from hunger has increased by 10 million since 2019 and a preliminary assessment of the pandemic suggests that 83 million to 132 million people will be added to this total, depending on the recovery scenario that the world follows. COVID-19 adds to the list of major drivers of food poverty, along with deteriorating economic conditions, resource inequality, conflict and climate change.

Some parts of Latin America will feel these effects especially strongly. Food insecurity is already a reality for 205 million Latin Americans, according to the report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security in the World in 2020 .

At the same time, obesity affects the population of Latin America disproportionately, as a result of the lack of access to healthy diets. In Latin America, a healthy eating option costs five times more than an unhealthy one. It is the highest relative cost in the world and around 104 million people cannot afford it.

All this in a region with enormous agricultural potential. Latin American and Caribbean countries account for 56% of global coffee production, 25% of global banana production, 28% of global citrus production, 44% of global sugar production and 50% of global soybean production. As a whole, the region exports more food and agricultural commodities than it imports. However, even with the agricultural technology we have today, there are still many challenges, such as food waste. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 6% of global food losses occur in Latin America and the Caribbean; each year, the region wastes around 15% of available food.

The motto for World Food Day 2020 is “Our actions are our future”. Clearly, more action is needed to make food systems more stable, more future-proof and more resilient to global threats. We can base this action on three fundamental principles: sustainability process, innovation e collaboration.

Sustainability is already one of the most understood topics in the food system, but our understanding is not yet matched by scalable actions. We need to do more to encourage and reinforce sustainable practices across the entire production, transport, processing and retail system. Any new agricultural investment, for example, needs to have sustainability as a fundamental criterion.

Initiatives and policies to reward farmers for sustainable land use for example will pay for themselves by regenerating and preserving our existing farmland and biodiversity, ensuring food security and healthy diets. Consider the introduction of incentives by Bayer for the adoption of climate-smart practices and regenerative, such as direct planting and cover crops. Systems like this create a market-led approach to sustainability — recognizing that change starts on the ground, and that only by involving everyone can we reach our full potential.

The power of technology in agriculture is unquestionable, from satellite image detection of crop diseases to technology blockchain which increases transparency in the supply chain and for the end consumer. But the development of new technologies is only part of the innovation we need; At the same time, we need to increase access to technology. For 3 billion people in the world, digitalization still means nothing, as they live in remote or deprived areas, devoid of internet. FAO highlights the need to "close the digital divide". This will require a complete set of actions, including social development, investment in infrastructure and a coordinated implementation plan that incorporates national and regional actors.

This is closely linked to the third principle, collaboration. None of our goals will be realized unless we can connect stakeholders across intranational and international borders. We need to establish cross-market and connected groups, sharing insights on how to solve challenges — not just those responsible for the food system, but also health and nutrition professionals, civil society, academia and public policy makers. Initiatives like Dialogues on Food Systems are already in action to unite multiple stakeholders and decision-makers under a common vision, enabling effective joint action. I hope to see collective initiatives like this grow quickly.

What becomes clear when considering these key principles is that we cannot view them as individual solutions — we need to address them as an interconnected path. Coordinated action will close technological gaps, which will accelerate the transformation of the food system based on sustainability. As we progress towards one, we progress towards all. Actions such as promoting access to new technologies, raising consumer awareness of the importance of science and technology for sustainability in food production and establishing stronger ties between farmers and consumers can bring results on a large scale in the region, but No single entity can accomplish all of this alone.

Specifically in Latin America, I am hopeful that great progress can be made in terms of sustainability, innovation and collaboration. If all actors in the food system work together, we can start transforming the system today.