Slow Food on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report: “Agroecology is the answer to change the agrifood system”

“The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report (SOFI) worryingly points out how almost 30% of the global population has not had constant access to food and how the capacity of people to access healthy diets has deteriorated across the world. The urgency to reshape the agrifood system is everyday getting clearer,” comments Edward Mukiibi, Slow Food president. “The current system is increasingly affected by the climate crisis, conflicts and economic contractions. We at Slow Food fight every day to guarantee access to good, clean and fair food for all, and our mission is ever more relevant in light of the last SOFI report. Agroecology is the solution to ensure sustainable food systems and to guarantee healthy food and diets for all,” adds Mukiibi. 

Agroecology is not just a set of agricultural practices but a real alternative which focuses on biodiversity, the conservation of ecosystems, and the skills and needs of communities. It is a model that can ensure long-term food security and provide good, healthy and nutritious food for everyone. “Ultra processed and nutrient-poor foods contribute to malnutrition and have replaced local and seasonal ingredients. Small-scale farmers have been excluded from the value chains and industrial food production is largely export oriented. The agroecological approach Slow Food supports exactly goes in the opposite direction: we have to put small scale farmers and local food biodiversity at the center of diversified local food systems that feed first and foremost local communities.” 

As stated in the report, while global hunger numbers have stalled between 2021 and 2022, there are many places in the world facing deepening food crises. Progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, but hunger was still on the rise in Western Asia, the Caribbean and throughout all subregions of Africa in 2022. Africa remains the worst-affected region with one in five people facing hunger on the continent, more than twice the global average. “The important fact behind Hunger in the global south is the continuous injustice subjected to small holder systems by agribusiness corporations forcing low income countries to adopt the already failed systems of production and pushing for policies that aim at abandoning climate resilient ways of production and destroying biodiversity ”Mukiibi concludes.  

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report has been published jointly by five United Nations specialized agencies.  

SOFI report: https://www.fao.org/3/cc3017en/cc3017en.pdf 

SOFI Brief: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc6550en