The 2024 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR), released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), highlights the critical need to transform global food systems. Amidst challenges posed by unhealthy diets, various forms of malnutrition, and environmental constraints, this report calls for urgent, innovative action to ensure sustainable healthy diets for everyone.
GLOBAL FOOD POLICY REPORT; DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION
In low- and middle-income countries, progress in reducing undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies has stagnated. Concurrently, overweight and obesity rates are rising worldwide, creating a double burden of malnutrition. This scenario means that undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies coexist with overweight and obesity, or diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), within the same individuals, households, and communities.
GLOBAL FOOD POLICY REPORT ; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FOOD SYSTEMS
Food systems also significantly impact the environment. The report emphasizes the need for food systems to transform to reduce their environmental footprint while ensuring that diets become healthier and more sustainable.
GLOBAL FOOD POLICY REPORT ; INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR LARGE-SCALE IMPACT
“To meet our ambitious global development goals on diets and nutrition, we need innovative research across the food system that informs and supports large-scale equitable impacts,” commented Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR. She stressed the importance of making sustainable healthy diets aspirational, affordable, and accessible for all.
PRIORITIZING DIET QUALITY
Deanna Olney, Director of IFPRI’s Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, underscored the urgency of improving diet quality. “Poor quality diets are the leading cause of disease worldwide, and one in five lives could be saved by improving diets. It is imperative to prioritize improving diets as a critical entry point for addressing all forms of malnutrition and diet-related NCDs,” she emphasized.
EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHES
The 2024 GFPR provides evidence-based recommendations for making sustainable healthy diets more desirable, affordable, accessible, and available. This comprehensive approach considers dietary patterns, food environments, food production, food-related policies, and broader societal and environmental factors.
ADDRESSING AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
The report estimates that over 2 billion people, particularly in Africa and South Asia, cannot afford a healthy diet. Johan Swinnen, Director General of IFPRI, highlighted the severity of micronutrient deficiencies, affecting more than half of children under five and two-thirds of adult women according to FAO data.
DEMAND-SIDE AND SUPPLY-SIDE SOLUTIONS
Purnima Menon, Senior Director of Food and Nutrition Policy at CGIAR and IFPRI, emphasized the need to address both demand-side and supply-side challenges. By improving affordability, consumer preferences, food environments, and the availability of nutritious foods, sustainable healthy diets can become a reality.
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AND GOVERNANCE
The report calls for collaborative efforts, innovative interventions, and sound policies and governance to tackle the complex challenges facing global food systems. Achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 on ending hunger and malnutrition will require accelerated action, robust financing mechanisms, and evidence-based policymaking.
The 2024 Global Food Policy Report is a pivotal contribution to the global dialogue on food security, public health, and sustainable development. It provides a comprehensive roadmap for the transformative changes needed in global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets and nutrition for all.
What is the main focus of the 2024 Global Food Policy Report?
The 2024 GFPR emphasizes the need for transforming global food systems to ensure sustainable healthy diets for everyone. It highlights the challenges posed by unhealthy diets, malnutrition, and environmental constraints.
Why is there a double burden of malnutrition?
The double burden of malnutrition refers to the coexistence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies with overweight and obesity, or diet-related NCDs, within the same populations. This is prevalent in many low- and middle-income countries.
How does the report suggest improving diet quality?
The report suggests prioritizing diet quality as a critical entry point for addressing all forms of malnutrition. It provides evidence-based recommendations to make sustainable healthy diets more desirable, affordable, accessible, and available.
What are the environmental impacts of current food systems?
Current food systems significantly contribute to environmental degradation. The report stresses the need for transforming food systems to reduce their environmental footprint while promoting healthier diets.
What role does affordability play in achieving healthy diets?
Affordability is crucial in ensuring access to healthy diets. The report estimates that over 2 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, emphasizing the need for policies and interventions to make nutritious foods more affordable.
How can collaborative efforts improve global food systems?
Collaborative efforts, innovative interventions, and sound governance are essential to address the complex challenges facing global food systems. These efforts are necessary to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 and ensure lasting impact on food security and nutrition.
