Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

The relationship between trade and food security is drawing ever greater attention on both the trade and the development agendas. Equitable trade is recognized as a powerful driver for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in achieving Zero Hunger in the context of climate change.

As patterns of consumption and production continue to evolve, global agricultural trade is expected to continue to increase over the next decade. The objective now is to ensure that the expansion of agricultural trade actually works for the elimination of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition globally. This challenge is at the core of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) support to its Members in the preparation of trade agreements, in particular under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

FAO, in collaboration with key partners, will be hosting and participating in a number of side events at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires.

Today the online discussion: 

“The 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) and its significance for food security in Africa” is complemented by a live session now ongoing on the Sub Saharan Africa Food Security Portal of IFPRI, at this link: 

ssa.foodsecurityportal.org/forums/wto-ministerial-conference-its-significance-food-security-africa

On the IFPRI portal you can post comments and questions over the next 24 hours and an expert will respond in real time. 

Accra/Abidjan/Rome - The number of undernourished people in sub-Saharan Africa has increased mainly due to the impact of conflict and climate change with the situation pointing to the urgent need to build affected communities' resilience and to find peaceful solutions that strengthen food security,  FAO said today.

The prevalence of chronic undernourishment appears to have risen from 20.8 to 22.7 percent between 2015 and 2016, according to FAO's Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition report (2017).

This year's report, which features the theme: "The Food Security and Nutrition - Conflict Nexus: Building Resilience for Food Security, Nutrition and Peace" was launched today at the joint FAO/WHO Africa Regional Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition, taking place in Abidjan from 16 to 17 November 2017.  

 The Asia Pacific Symposium (10-11 November 2017, Bangkok) links to the FAO and WHO International Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition held in Rome in December 2016, and is one of four follow-up events focused on specific world regions. The aims are to enhance agriculture and food systems’ visibility, create policy and programme options, promote sustainable diets and build partnerships through taking stock of evidence on transformational change in food systems toward sustainability, and their link to positive health and nutrition outcomes.  The Symposium will also develop and strengthen information platforms on nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems for countries in the region so that they can share that knowledge amongst consumers, producers and other stakeholders. Major interventions for good nutrition governance and effective local level implementation will be identified and promoted. 

The Asia-Pacific region, home to most of the world’s undernourished people, needs urgent action to improve diets and reset its food systems which are critical to the delivery of healthy, nutritious foods, FAO said today. According to the findings of FAO’s 2017 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition report, there is a pressing need to tackle malnutrition alongside further promotion of the consumption of healthier foods while curbing the growth in consumption of unhealthy foods.

This new publication presents the work of the FSN Forum, offering an overview of how Forum activities and its vast network of participants around the world help FAO to tackle the root causes of poverty and hunger and support countries, organizations and communities in their efforts to improve lives.