Realizing Resilient Food Systems

TLDR

Food systems face growing pressure to meet global food demand, reduce environmental impacts, and withstand complex global change, yet food security remains elusive for many populations and requires stronger social–ecological links and adaptive capacity. The authors aim to promote food system resilience to reduce vulnerabilities and illustrate this through regional case studies of vulnerable populations. They propose integrated strategies—integrating gender equity and social justice, promoting ecological crop production, regionalizing distribution and reducing waste, and linking nutrition with agricultural policy—supported by regional case studies. These efforts could dramatically improve global food system resilience.

Abstract

Food systems are under increasing pressure to produce sufficient food for the global population, decrease the environmental impacts of production, and buffer against complex global change. Food security also remains elusive for many populations worldwide. Greater emphasis on food system resilience could reduce these vulnerabilities. We outline integrated strategies that together could foster food system resilience across scales, including (a) integrating gender equity and social justice into food security research and initiatives, (b) increasing the use of ecological processes rather than external inputs for crop production, (c) fostering regionalized food distribution networks and waste reduction, and (d) linking human nutrition and agricultural production policies. Enhancing social–ecological links and fostering adaptive capacity are essential to cope with short-term volatility and longer-term global change pressures. Finally, we highlight regional case studies that have enhanced food system resilience for vulnerable populations. Efforts in these areas could have dramatic impacts on global food system resilience.