{"id":111410,"date":"2023-09-11T00:27:22","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T04:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?page_id=111410"},"modified":"2023-09-11T00:30:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T04:30:51","slug":"fast-facts-what-are-sustainable-food-systems","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/fast-facts-what-are-sustainable-food-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast Facts \u2013 What are sustainable food systems?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1404px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-111411 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1350\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-150x56.png 150w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-200x74.png 200w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-400x148.png 400w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-600x222.png 600w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-768x284.png 768w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-800x296.png 800w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-1024x379.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-1080x400.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system-1200x444.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/food-system.png 1350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A sustainable food system is a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all. The system encompasses everything from the processing, packaging and the transporting of food to consumers. Currently, these systems are not efficient or sustainable, and in 2022, about<span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2023\/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf\"> 9.2 per cent<\/a> <\/span>of the world population was facing chronic hunger, equivalent to about 735 million people \u2013 122 million more than in 2019. In addition, these unsustainable practices are one of the main contributors to the climate crisis \u2013 they account for a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/07\/1139037#:~:text=Unsustainable%20food%20production%2C%20packaging%20and,usage%2C%20and%20driving%20biodiversity%20loss.\"><span style=\"color: #046b99\">third of greenhouse gas emissions<\/span><\/a> and 70 per cent of the usage of the world\u2019s freshwater.<\/p>\n<p>There are three key indicators of whether a food system is sustainable or not:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ca2079en\/CA2079EN.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #046b99\">Economic sustainability<\/span><\/a> &#8211; it is profitable throughout<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ca2079en\/CA2079EN.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #046b99\">Social sustainability<\/span><\/a> &#8211; it has broad-based benefits for society<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ca2079en\/CA2079EN.pdf\">Environmental sustainability <\/a><\/span>&#8211; it has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>\u201cBroken food systems are not inevitable. They are the result of choices we have made. There is more than enough food in the world to go around. More than enough money to fund efficient and sustainable food systems to feed the world, while supporting decent work for those who grow the food we eat.\u201d<\/em> <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2023\/07\/press-release-the-un-secretary-general-convenes-world-leaders-and-key-actors-for-un-food-systems-summit-2-stocktaking-moment-in-push-to-transform-food-systems-and-accelerate-action-for-the-sdgs\/\">Secretary General, Antonio Guterres in his remarks to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>But mounting pressures from <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/07\/1138992#:~:text=Population%20growth%2C%20urbanization%2C%20changing%20consumption,and%20Agriculture%20Organization%20(FAO).\">population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns, and climate change<\/a><\/span> are all contributing factors to the strain on food systems, meaning that an overhaul in our current practices is needed for our food systems to become sustainable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A stressed global food system <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-111414 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-66x66.png 66w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-400x400.png 400w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-800x800.png 800w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/English-1.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/>SDG 2, \u2018Zero Hunger\u2019 aims to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The UN estimates that <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/07\/1138612\">780 million people have experienced hunger<\/a><\/span> and impacts one in ten globally. The world is not on track to achieve this goal and <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/global-issues\/food\">660 million people<\/a><\/span> may still face hunger by 2030.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the world is facing a food emergency. Together, conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes and soaring fertilizer prices have created a <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wfp.org\/global-hunger-crisis\">food crisis of unprecedented proportions<\/a><\/span>. Food inflation is impacting everyone around the world, and it is an opposing force to the economic gains made after Covid, which had<span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2023\/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf\"> led to improved access to food.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>According to the <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2023\/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf\">2023 SDG Progress Report<\/a>,<\/span> Western Asia, the Caribbean and all sub-regions of Africa are experiencing an increase in hunger, however, most sub-regions in Asia and Latin America have experienced improvements in food security.<\/p>\n<p>The recently concluded <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/07\/1138752\">Black Sea Initiative<\/a><\/span> has also exacerbated the situation. This agreement allowed the transportation of commercial food and fertiliser from three main ports in Ukraine. Developing countries &#8211; which already had issues with food supply, are hit particularly hard by the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside being a source of nutrition, food systems are a source of employment across the world<span style=\"color: #046b99\"> <a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unfoodsystemshub.org\/docs\/unfoodsystemslibraries\/stocktaking-moment\/un-secretary-general\/unfss2-secretary-general-report.pdf\">such as in agriculture, forestry and fishing<\/a>.<\/span> The <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/social.desa.un.org\/sites\/default\/files\/inline-files\/Alejandro%20Grinspun_PPT.pdf\">majority of rural poor<\/a><\/span> &#8211; nearly two thirds &#8211; work in small-scale agriculture, where poverty rates are more than four times higher than among non-agricultural workers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The triple threat of overconsumption, unsustainable practices and malnutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Overconsumption is a key issue in food shortages, and wealthier countries are the biggest contributors to the problem. According to <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef-irc.org\/publications\/pdf\/RC17-EN_Places-and-Spaces_Environments-and-childrens-well-being_Report-Card-17.pdf\">UNICEF<\/a>,<\/span> if everybody in the world consumed resources at the rate people in the United States, Canada or Luxembourg do, we would require the equivalent of more than five earths to satisfy their needs.<\/p>\n<p>Food shortages also affect our health \u2013 malnutrition impacts children from low and lower-middle-income countries the most. <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2023\/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf\">Not getting the right nutrients<\/a> <\/span>can lead to stunting (growing less than average for their age), micronutrient deficiencies and being overweight which can place children at risk with poor growth and development.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Water, Food and Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Water, food and energy form a nexus at the heart of sustainable development. With a growing population, there is a growing demand for all three. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the world\u2019s freshwater resources, and more than <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unwater.org\/water-facts\/water-food-and-energy\">one-quarter of the energy<\/a><\/span> used globally is expended on food production and supply.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What can we do about the global food crisis?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As outlined in the <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/unstats.un.org\/sdgs\/report\/2023\/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf\">2023 SDG Progress Report<\/a>,<\/span> we need urgent coordinated action, and policy solutions are imperative to address entrenched inequalities, transform food systems, invest in sustainable agricultural practices, and reduce and mitigate the impact of conflict and the pandemic on global nutrition and food security.<\/p>\n<p>In July 2023, the UN Food Systems Summit + 2 Stocktaking Moment took place, with the purpose of reviewing progress made from the 2021 Food Systems Summit. The UN Secretary-General, Ant\u00f3nio Gueterres noted in his keynote speech: \u201cOver 100 countries have submitted voluntary progress reports on food systems transformation. Countries are taking decisive steps to reflect this priority in national and sub-national laws, policies and programming,\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unfoodsystemshub.org\/docs\/unfoodsystemslibraries\/stocktaking-moment\/un-secretary-general\/unfss2-secretary-general-report.pdf?sfvrsn=560b6fa6_19\">Secretary General\u2019s report on UN Food Systems<\/a><\/span> explains that in order to bring the Sustainable Development Goals back from the brink, our Food Systems\u2019 transformation play a vital role and their objectives must be integrated into global and national policy discussions, commitments and targets.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about actions you can take to contribute to a more sustainable world: <span style=\"color: #046b99\"><a style=\"color: #046b99\" href=\"https:\/\/un.org\/actnow.\">https:\/\/un.org\/actnow.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":348,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-111410","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/348"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/111410\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}