Food Security - From the Global to the Local Dimension

Abstract

Food security, environmental health and quality, livelihoods and social well-being represent key outcomes of sustainable food systems. Achieving global food security is an important element of the UN Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Objective

This year, the focus of the course will be on how the concept of true cost accounting for food contributes to more sustainable food system and its impact on food and nutrition security. FAO currently works intensively on “true cost of food” as both the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) Report 2023 and 2024 will be on true cost of food. Furthermore, we will link the topic to an ongoing research Sinergia research project (https://e4s.center/resources/projects/true-cost-of-food/) and an ongoing case study for Switzerland to be published in the SOFA report 2024, under the lead of FiBL (Adrian Müller). The participants of the course will explore the true cost accounting for food and its impact on food system transformation and on food and nutrition security. Food production and consumption has multiple impacts across the entire food system. These can be positive such as the provision of food for a growing population, income for farming households and other actors across the food system. Often, they also negative, such as land use change, the emission of greenhouse gases, the spread of antibiotic resistance, the degradation of soil, pollution of river or ground water and the rise of obesity and the spread of disease. These damages are very rarely reflected in the price of food. Those "hidden” costs are covered through taxes, health care costs, pollution clean-up, water rates, as well as deferred costs including emissions causing climate change which will have to be paid for by subsequent generations. The aim of the course is to learn, discuss and reflect, both based on conceptual level as well using concrete cases, about the concept of true cost accounting for food and how it can be used to sustainably transform food system and support food and nutrition security. Students will learn from inputs, papers, exchanges with experts at FAO and from science and policy as well as discussions in groups about the complexity of sustainable food systems and how true cost of food can support a transformation to more sustainable food systems. The students will discover and explore the concept of true cost accounting for food as well as a systemic approach to implement the evidence that it generates for adapting or introducing instruments, tools, strategies, and policies from local to global scale.

Content

Core element of the course is a three-day workshop at FAO in Rome (03.04.-05.04.2024) in which students will exchange with experts from FAO and other Rome based agencies on different topic linked to food security and sustainable food systems with a focus on elements important for true cost and true value of food. The main outcomes of sustainable food systems are food and nutrition security, environmental quality and health, including the protection of natural resources and the mitigation of climate change impacts, decent livelihoods and social wellbeing. The concept of “Food systems” is key to understand the complex framework of actions to ensure food and nutrition security of present and future generations around the globe but also within local systems. Farmers and the related farming practices, food processors, logistics operators and retailers as well as the consumers themselves are among the key actors in any food system. Others are policy makers, public administration, research institutions, etc. Several methods and tools have been developed to assess sustainability and resilience of agriculture and food systems True cost of food is a concept which has gained in importance in recent years. In this course, you will learn more about the concept and the approach chosen by FAO to measure true cost and true value of food, globally and at national level. Availability, access, utilization and stability are generally recognized as the four dimensions of food security, combining (i) availability of food at a certain time and a certain place, (ii) individuals physical and monetary accessibility, (iii) appropriate use of the food to make sure it’s healthy and of high quality and (iv) stability of the food system, especially regarding the economic, political and environmental conditions. The High Level Panel of Experts of the Committee for Food Security (CFS) recommends in their last report released in 2020 to acknowledge two further dimensions: agency, as the capacity (of individuals or groups) to make their own decisions about food production, processing, distribution and consumption, and their ability to participate in processes which shape food system policies and governance. Eradicating hunger and ensuring food security for all at any time is one of the key challenges of our society. The specific issues related to “food systems” will be at focus of this course. In desk research, discussions and by listening to experts, students will critically reflect and analyze the role of true cost and true value of food in supporting food security can be achieved, livelihoods improved, and natural resources conserved. In the course students will discuss and explore following three main aspects: (i) Exploring concepts, approaches and tools leading to a better and more holistic understanding of sustainable food systems, food and nutrition security, human and environmental health, livelihoods and social wellbeing; (ii) Reviewing and critical reflection of true cost and true value of food; (iii) Reflecting about the perspectives and roles of various food system actors such as farmers, processors, food industry, retailers, policy makers (both at national and local level), United-Nations Agencies like FAO, research institutions, and other players such as civil society, consumers on true cost and true value of food and how this concept supports sustainable food system transformation.

Resources