Transform the global food supply: The necessity of food system restructuring

Transform the global food supply: The necessity of food system restructuring

In a world where food systems are geared towards quantity over quality, there is immense potential to deliver affordable, nutritious food for all. This transformation can be achieved through investments in diverse, climate-resilient crops, a move that benefits both people and the planet.

These crops, such as millets (sorghum, fonio) and legumes (groundnuts, sesame), are highly tolerant to drought and low irrigation conditions, making them ideal for combating the effects of climate change. They are recommended by the UN for their ability to withstand climate stress better than staples like wheat or rice. By growing such crops, we can maintain stable food supplies amid changing weather patterns and extreme events.

Diverse crops are often rich in essential nutrients. For example, millets contain calcium, iron, protein, and fiber. Cultivating legumes enriches diets with plant-based protein and other micronutrients while improving soil fertility due to lower fertilizer needs.

Economically, farming multiple crops throughout the year buffers households against market and climate shocks, increasing income opportunities. This income can be reinvested into accessing healthier foods and community nutrition, helping to address malnutrition, especially in rural areas with financial constraints.

Sustainable food systems transformation is also supported by integrating nature-positive practices like agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, and recognizing community land rights. This approach supports resilient supply chains, equitable access to nutritious diets, reduces emissions, promotes biodiversity, and enhances ecosystem services essential for food production.

Providing farmers with access to Earth system data (soil health, water resources, carbon sequestration) enables more efficient, science-based management of diverse crops, attracting investment and fostering local climate-smart economies.

Investing in the cultivation of diverse, nutritious, and climate-resilient crops can boost soil health, reduce emissions, and provide essential nutrients. However, the World Health Organization's nutrition targets are currently off track. Iron deficiency in women is rising, and adult malnutrition is increasing.

Efforts to manage obesity rates require social behavior change and tackling harmful marketing. If no urgent action is taken, hunger and malnutrition could increase by 20% by 2050. Approximately three billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet.

Tools such as front-of-package labelling can help shape food regulatory policies. The costs of inaction on nutrition are estimated to be US$41 trillion over the next decade. Food systems account for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The Food and Land Use Coalition, under the leadership of Afshan Khan, the assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and coordinator for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, and Morgan Gillespy, the director of the Food and Land Use Coalition, are working towards better aligning the food industry, global markets, and family farming to encourage innovation and attract investment.

This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation. The Food and Land Use Coalition in Brazil is also connecting local and regional efforts to encourage innovation and attract investment. The future of our food systems lies in investing in climate-resilient crops to secure stable, nutritious food supplies while restoring ecosystems and mitigating climate impacts, thus advancing the health of people and the planet.

1. The UN recommends diversifying crops like millets and legumes, which are highly tolerant to drought and low irrigation conditions, as they can withstand climate stress better than staples like wheat or rice.
2. Integrating nature-positive practices such as agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, and recognizing community land rights can support resilient supply chains, equitable access to nutritious diets, reduce emissions, and promote biodiversity.
3. Providing farmers with Earth system data for more efficient management of diverse crops can attract investment and foster local climate-smart economies, boost soil health, reduce emissions, and provide essential nutrients.
4. Malnutrition rates, particularly in rural areas with financial constraints, can be addressed through income generated by economically viable farming of diverse crops, which can be reinvested into accessing healthier foods and community nutrition.
5. The Food and Land Use Coalition, under the leadership of Afshan Khan and Morgan Gillespy, aims to align the food industry, global markets, and family farming to encourage innovation, attract investment, and better secure stable, nutritious food supplies for people and the planet.

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