Global Community Should Take ‘Coordinated Action’ To Improve Food Systems

Devex: Opinion: Our food systems are perpetuating malnutrition — and stalling development
John Beddington, senior adviser at the Oxford Martin School, professor of natural resource management at Oxford University, and co-chair of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition; and John Agyekum Kufuor, former president of Ghana and co-chair of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition

“…Thanks to leadership at the global and regional levels, a fundamental shift has started to take hold to ensure that all parts of food systems work together to deliver high-quality diets. … But our window for action is closing. Climate change, population growth, and rapid urbanization will continue to place stress upon our food systems. … Policymakers, businesses, civil society, and others have an opportunity to improve consumers’ ability to access food that is safe, nutritious, and affordable. This will require concerted action across many different sectors to connect and break down traditional silos, along with coordinated action across several policy domains. Doing so would not only accelerate progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goal [(SDG)] to end hunger (Goal 2), but would help achieve all the SDGs. Addressing poor quality diets and malnutrition would boost the development potential of individuals and nations alike. … We’ve heard the call to prioritize nutrition — now let us heed that call by ensuring food systems deliver safe and healthy diets for all” (11/21).

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