Why many world food systems are failing — UN envoy

She said one-third of all food was either lost or wasted

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Dr Agnes Kalibata, has said presently many of the world’s food systems are failing for people, environments and for “our shared” future.

Dr Kalibata stated this recently during a webinar organised by the International Centre for Journalists (ICJ) in collaboration with the Eleanor Crook Foundation, a leading philanthropy organisation, for journalists participating in the Global Nutrition and Food Security Reporting Fellowship programme.

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Speaking on the topic: “Malnutrition, Food Systems and Public Policy”, she said 690 million people were hungry, with more than 250 million of them in Africa.

She said one-third of all food was either lost or wasted, adding that malnutrition was now the number one factor contributing to the global burden of disease and reduced life expectancy.

She explained that, “More than 70 per cent of Africans cannot afford a healthy diet, and more than two billion people worldwide are overweight or obese.”

She said the upcoming 2021 UN Food Systems Summit would serve as a turning point in the world’s journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She added that, “The summit will unleash bold new actions, innovative solutions and strategies to transform our food systems and leverage these shifts to deliver progress across all of SDGs.”