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The Food Systems Dashboard brings together extant data from public and private sources to help decision makers understand their food systems, identify their levers of change and decide which ones need to be pulled.
COVID-19 is disrupting food systems globally and governments must stabilize food supply chains and thoughtfully expand social safety nets now to avert social unrest. Lessons learned from the 2008–2012 food price crises point to seven actionable points to consider.
Given the important role that nutritional science plays in global food and health policy, some of the key uncertainties in nutrition research that policy makers should take into consideration are outlined here.
Prices that better reflect the environmental costs of food can promote more sustainable production and consumption practices. The research community has a role to play in constructing the framework for the implementation of true cost.
Scientific meetings should be organized in the spirit of responsible consumption and production, including the prioritization of plant-based meals for reduced nitrogen loss. The Cercedilla Manifesto indicates how.
The starchy staples of West African cooking have significance beyond nutrition and satiety. In Ghana, fufu, tzed and banku are associated with regional and cultural identity, and the preparation and consumption of the ‘proper meal’ with social roles.
East Africa is experiencing the worst desert locust outbreak in decades. Climate events have facilitated breeding of the swarming pest across the region, and with a surge in the locust population expected in coming weeks urgent action is needed to avert a humanitarian crisis.
Over the past two millennia, dietary transitions among foragers in southern Africa have impacted their height, family size, disease rates, and nutrition. The shift to a sedentary life has brought with it a range of health and social issues. Yet, foraging remains important for food security and has unique cultural value.
The continuing loss of ecosystems, species and intraspecific genetic diversity has profound implications for agriculture, food security and human wellbeing. An urgent response is needed, including at global level.
