Food Security and the 2015–2030 Sustainable Development Goals: From Human to Planetary Health

TLDR

Food security, defined as universal access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, is lacking for nearly 800 million people, with over 2 billion suffering micronutrient deficiencies, and it adversely affects human development and planetary health while underpinning all UN Sustainable Development Goals. The study aims to promote improved food‑security governance through equitable, sustainable food systems and modern technologies to help countries achieve the SDGs. The authors propose leveraging modern information and sustainable agricultural technologies within sound, equitable governance frameworks to strengthen food‑security systems.

Abstract

Food security exists when "all people, at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life" (http://www.fao.org/wfs/index_en.htm). Close to 800 million individuals do not have access to enough food, >2 billion individuals experience key micronutrient deficiencies, and ∼60% of individuals in low-income countries are food insecure. Food insecurity negatively affects human physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development throughout the life course and is a major social and environmental disruptor with serious repercussions for planetary health (i.e., the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends). Food security is related to all of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Improved food security governance based on sound, equitable, and sustainable food systems that benefit from modern information and sustainable and equitable agricultural technologies is essential for countries to meet the SDGs.