ASEAN responses to COVID-19 for assuring food security

Who Eats, Where, What, and How? COVID-19, Food Security, and Canadian Foodscapes

Response and resilience of Asian agrifood systems to COVID-19: An assessment across twenty-five countries and four regional farming and food systems

This article aims to examine the impact of climate change on food security in South Africa. For this purpose, the article adopted a desktop study approach. Previous studies, reports, surveys and policies on climate change and food (in)security. From this paper’s analysis, climate change presents a high risk to food security in sub-Saharan countries from crop production to food distribution and consumption. In light of this, it is found that climate change, particularly global warming, affects food security through food availability, accessibility, utilisation and affordability. To mitigate these risks, there is a need for an integrated policy approach to protect the arable land against global warming. The argument advanced in this article is that South Africa’s ability to adapt and protect its food items depends on the understanding of risks and the vulnerability of various food items to climate change. However, this poses a challenge in developing countries, including South Africa, because such countries have weak institutions and limited access to technology. Another concern is a wide gap between the cost of adapting and the necessary financial support from the government. There is also a need to invest in technologies that will resist risks on food systems.

<scp>IFST</scp> vision for a <scp>UK</scp>‐wide national food strategy

Feeding the City, Pandemic and Beyond

The World Food Programme said that in 2020 there were 768 million people who experienced chronic hunger due to the increase in world poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic. In facing the spread of Covid-19, the agricultural sector is a priority because it is directly related to national food security. As a national food barn, West Java is affected by the increase in poor people. Pada in 2021, Bandung Regency experienced extreme poverty, which is 2.64%; this will affect food security in particular, in terms of affordability. Therefore, the availability of accurate and fast food security information is needed to prevent and handle food insecurity in order to provide direction and recommendations for preparing programs and policies, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study was based on analyzing differences in food security before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Bandung Regency regarding food availability, affordability, and utilization. The analysis used a descriptive quantitative method with a paired sample t-test. The data source is secondary data from the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas report of Bandung Regency. The analysis shows a noticeable difference between the food security of Bandung Regency before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely the decrease in the composite value of food security, especially in affordability. The most significant average increase occurred in the lowest welfare ratio indicator in 2020. Keywords: food security, Covid-19

A new face of food security: A global perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic

Food security exists when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Food security is built on four pillars: availability, access, utilization and stability. Food and nutrition security embraces meeting energy, protein and nutrient needs for healthy life. Food systems overlap with agricultural systems in the area of food production, but also comprise the diverse set of institutions, technologies and practices that govern the way food is marketed, processed, transported, accessed and consumed. The food system activities are grouped into four categories: producing food, processing and packaging food, distributing and retailing food, and consuming food. The review paper aims at highlighting the connections and linkages between food sustainability and food security. There are very strong linkages between food and nutrition security, responsible environmental stewardship and greater fairness in food management. They intersect in agricultural and food systems at the global, national and local levels. Today, the main concern for the food and agricultural sector is to provide simultaneously enough food, in quantity and quality, to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population and to conserve natural resources for future generations. A sustainable food system supports food security, makes optimal use of natural and human resources, is culturally acceptable and accessible, environmentally sound and economically fair and viable, and provides the consumer with nutritionally adequate, safe, healthy and affordable food for present and future generations. Changes in both food consumption and food production are important to ensure more sustainable food systems and to achieve food and nutrition security in the Mediterranean region. Since diets sustainability is of paramount importance for achieving food and nutrition security, there is an urgent need to design and implement appropriate policies to improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the current food consumption patterns.

Hyperarid, arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas cover approximately 41% of the global land area. The human population in drylands, currently estimated at 2.7 billion, faces limited access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food. We discuss the interlinkages among water security, environmental security, energy security, economic security, health security, and food security governance, and how they affect food security in drylands. Reliable and adequate water supply, and the prevention of water contamination, increase the potential for ample food, fodder, and fiber production. Protecting woodlands and rangelands increases food security by buffering the slow onset effects of climate change, including biodiversity loss, desertification, salinization, and land degradation. The protection of natural lands is expected to decrease environmental contamination, and simultaneously, reduce the transfer of diseases from wildlife to humans. Biofuel production and hydroelectric power plants increase energy security but generate land-use conflicts, deforestation, and ecosystem degradation. Economic security generally positively correlates with food security. However, economic growth often degrades the environment, changes tenure rights over natural resources, and stimulates migration to urban areas, resulting in lower food and health security. Moreover, civil unrest, political instability, and armed conflicts disrupt local economies in drylands. Maintaining food security is crucial for health security; conversely, malnourished populations and unresponsive health systems decrease economic security, and adversely affect environmental, energy, and food security. Climate change is expected to deteriorate health security by spreading vector-borne diseases. Effective governance and timely interventions can substantially shorten periods of food insecurity, lower their intensities, and accelerate recovery from inevitable crises, and are therefore crucial in preventing humanitarian crises. Since global drylands population will nearly double by 2050, and since drylands are among the most susceptible areas to climate change, integrated multi-hazard approaches to food security are needed.

Purpose. The aim of the article is to study the role of tools of economic diplomacy in ensuring food security, identification of effective measures that contribute to the stability of food systems and their reform in the context of global challenges. Methodology of research. A set of scientific methods was used to achieve the goal of the study, in particular: the abstract and logical method was used to formulate generalizations and conclusions based on the results of the analysis of the relationship between economic diplomacy and food security; methods of analysis and synthesis were used to substantiate theoretical approaches to economic diplomacy, to substantiate the impact of its tools on food security; comparative analysis – to study the experience of leading countries in the world in using tools of economic diplomacy to develop food systems and ensure the protection of agricultural producers; empirical analysis – to assess the policy of protectionism and the use of restrictive measures by countries in international trade, the impact of Ukraine's economic diplomacy tools on its foreign trade and food security in the world; institutional analysis – to identify the role of institutions (including funds) in solving food issues; the method of visual analysis was used to visualize the results of the study through graphs, charts and tables. Findings. The multifaceted nature of the problem of food security is substantiated. The directions of its research in the scientific field are analysed. It is confirmed that research on food security through the prism of economic diplomacy is not frequent in the domestic scientific literature. However, in practice, countries use mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation to solve food security problems. It is substantiated that food security is significantly affected by changes in the geopolitical and geo-economics order, a crisis of confidence in international organizations, climate change and environmental policy. The main tools of economic diplomacy, with which it affects food security, are identified. The landscape of economic diplomacy is characterized by the intervention of countries in international trade that are protectionist in nature. The role of agrarian protectionism for food security is determined. The state of protection of agricultural producers in 2023 in individual countries of the world is analysed. The problem of foreign trade regulation for Ukraine and the main barriers, including in the agricultural sector, are revealed. The role of multilateral diplomacy in ensuring food security is revealed. The programs of individual countries and funds aimed at overcoming the food crisis and maintaining food security are analysed. The role of Ukraine in ensuring global food security and the main challenges it experiences in connection with the war are argued. The role of regional integration in food security is confirmed. Measures are proposed for the effective use of economic diplomacy tools to ensure food security. Originality. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the comprehensive analysis of economic diplomacy tools aimed at ensuring food security in the face of modern global challenges; substantiation of their role in stabilizing food systems in the context of climate change, geopolitical instability, social and economic inequality. Practical value. The practical value of the study lies in the fact that the approaches developed in it to the use of economic diplomacy tools to ensure food security and the conclusions drawn can be used by food security actors at all levels of its functioning, including in the process of improving state policy in the field of food security, integration into educational programs for training specialists in international relations and international economic relations. Key words: geopolitical uncertainty, food security, agriculture, economic diplomacy, tools of economic diplomacy, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, protectionist policy, agrarian protectionism, international trade, foreign trade of Ukraine, WTO, financing of food security programs.

Inclusive diets within planetary boundaries

The alarming presence of COVID-19 challenged the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 2 and made the World Health Organization (WHO) declare a public health emergency of international concern. Imposed lockdowns disrupted the supply and demand chain of the food systems, hence affecting food security. This research would like to know and assess the early effect (two months after the lockdown) of the enhanced community quarantine on food security in the Philippines. An online survey was employed participated by 331 household representatives using a survey instrument containing food security assessment, household socio- demographic characteristics, behavioral responses covering food purchase and consumption behavior, and emergency measure adoption. Statistical tests were applied: Mann-Whitney U test to know the behavioral response of the food secure vs. food insecure households, as well as the phi coefficient and Cramer’s V test to determine and assess the parameters that plays important role in food security during this period. Results showed that 73% of the respondents were food insecure. The early effect of the lockdown was seen in the behavioral responses, significant differences between food secure and insecure households were found in age, income, and food purchase behavior. Parameters associated with food security are age, income, food allocation, expectations on the livelihood impact and change in expenditure, and the adoption motivations in practicing backyard gardening. The stress evaluation revealed that while Filipinos tried to cope, an increased level of anxiety was experienced. The need for clear measures in terms of preparedness in any pandemic situation was heightened. These findings are significant in providing benchmark information on food security during a pandemic.

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most rapidly urbanising regions in the world. Achieving food and nutrition security is not only a rural challenge; the access to adequate (in terms of quantity and quality), healthy, nutritious and affordable food is also a growing concern for cities. The latest food crisis (2007/08) put food security back onto the political agenda as food prices increased significantly within just a few weeks and showed the world how vulnerable food systems are, particularly in cities. Food systems describe the ‘farm-to-fork’ processes, pathways and dynamics between interlinked actors and are embedded in a spatial context. The global discourse on food security happens without considering the urban context, just as the global discourse on the urban context happens without considering food security (Battersby 2016: 3). The controversial debate on the contribution of urban agriculture to food and nutrition security frames this study. Based on the perspective of a food systems approach this research seeks to understand the two case areas, City of Cape Town (South Africa) and City of Maputo (Mozambique), through local food production, pathways, dynamics and challenges. This paper shows early results of two baseline surveys amongst urban farmers in both cities, as well as in-depth interviews with urban farmers. Both case studies show similar challenges but different opportunities to increase the potential of urban agriculture to contribute towards a more sustainable food system.

Teamwork to tackle the food security crisis

Background Climate change poses a future risk to the UK's food supply and food security, both in terms of domestic production and imports. Direct climate impacts on crop yields affect food production, nutrient composition and bioavailability whereas indirect supply chain impacts affect access and affordability of food. Indicators and methods for measuring the UK food system vulnerability are essential for understanding climate change impacts. Aim To identify potential indicators for monitoring climate change impacts on food systems (relevant to UK) and compare with current UK processes for impact monitoring. Methods A scoping review was conducted to identify climate-related food system indicators across 4 domains: food supply, food environment, food consumption and food waste. Nine electronic databases were searched for published articles in peer-reviewed journals. Grey literature searches included Google Scholar, Government websites and organisations. Thematic analysis of indicators was carried out by food system domain, methods, spatial level and outcome. Results After screening 5,260 articles, 54 papers were analysed and presented 752 climate-related food system indicators. Most indicators were in the food supply (n = 505) or food consumption (n = 139) domain. Thematic analysis of indicators revealed key themes as crop yields, water availability, biodiversity and soil health, production and supply, imports/exports, supply chain disruption, food price impacts, affordability, nutrition, food security, food waste. A vast range of indicators are available to monitor UK food system vulnerability to climate change, however, currently only climate impacts on food supply processes are extensively monitored compared with impacts to food environment or consumption. Conclusions To support policy makers in implementing food system interventions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, data, indicators and monitoring mechanisms are critical for UK decision-making. Key messages • To support policy makers in implementing food system interventions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, data, indicators and monitoring mechanisms are critical for UK decision-making. • Monitoring the climate impacts on food systems and food security requires systematic, rigorous data collection across all domains of the food system to protect health.