©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito
Food security is a fundamental human right, food has also a public good dimension, yet too many people do not have secure access to the food they need.
Understandings of food security have evolved over time and it is now necessary to update the way we frame and conceptualize food security. In particular, the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, clearly stated that agency and sustainability should be formally recognized as dimensions of food security in food policy frameworks, which I am very glad to say FAO already acknowledged and included in its work, alongside the more well-known pillars of availability, access, stability and utilization.
And I want to stress the urgency to formally embrace this shift because the way organizations and governments define food security has fundamental implications in the design of policies on the ground, as well as for monitoring and evaluation.
This will require different kinds of indicators, to capture a range of aspects of each of these dimensions to account for their complexity. Fundamental data gaps still exist to correctly guide action and inform policymaking, especially in terms of timely and sufficiently granular data on people’s ability to locally produce and access food, on their actual food and nutrient consumption, and on their nutritional status. Increased and sustained financial investment is thus needed to overcome these gaps.
We are also experiencing a data revolution, driven by new technologies, which is increasing exponentially the volume and types of data available. This provides great opportunities for informing and transforming food systems, but also creates new risks and can deepen inequalities within or between nations and individuals. These risks should be minimized.
Ultimately, despite the abundant and growing availability of data, often policymakers are not aware of the existence and relevance of such information or do not use it appropriately. Well aware of this complexity, the Panel strived to be inclusive and apply maximum rigour and professionalism at all times, working with evidence and providing sound and balanced arguments regarding controversial issues.
It is imperative to achieve the transformation of food systems and to embrace the data revolution in support of this effort. Decisive action now, leveraging current political opportunities and public opinion sensitivity, as well as technological innovation, can steer the course in the right direction.
You’ll see, this report can make a real difference on the ground to contribute significantly to alleviate the perils of hunger. I hope that policymakers, and all actors around food and nutrition worldwide will make the best use of it.
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*These are the main points of the opening remarks by the CFS HLPE-FSN Chairperson, Prof. Dr. Bernard Lehmann at the launch of the report “Data collection and analysis tools for Food Security and Nutrition: towards enhancing effective, inclusive, evidence-informed, decision making” - 16 September 2022 in Rome, Italy.
