Commentary on Challenges to Taking a Food Systems Approach Within the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Synopsis

In recent years, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has attempted to expand its focus beyond agricultural productivity by adopting a more integrated, multi-faceted approach, often captured by the term “food systems”. While this is a very welcome development for several reasons, the bulk of the organization’s work still focuses on raising agricultural productivity, as exemplified by the allocation of its regular programme budget. FAO faces important challenges in tackling some of the most important issues that a food systems approach would require, such as trade. A historical review of FAO’s work on nutrition serves to illustrate that focusing on nutrition and food systems is nothing new for FAO, dating to the earliest discussions that eventually led to its establishment. However, at that time the different interests of its member countries prevented it from tackling important related issues such as agricultural trade. A global food crisis (2008) and the reform of FAO’s Committee on World Food Security (CFS) did not even succeed in opening a space for a serious discussion on trade issues which divide its member countries. With an increase in hunger and malnutrition (FAO (2019) Given the state of food security and nutrition in the world, need to safeguard against economic slowdowns and downturns. FAO, Rome) and new leadership at FAO, this is an opportune time to review the major challenges faced by the organization and to search for a more comprehensive conceptual framework and efficient approach in tackling complexities involved with food system.