By Dr. Yvonne Colomer, IFAMA Board Member and Executive Director of Triptolemos Foundation
Food systems have evolved differently depending on their geographical and cultural environments, but with the common goal of ensuring food production. Today, food systems are structured in a complex global interconnection around production that should satisfy a growing and mostly urban world population, with sufficient, sustainable, healthy food, and at affordable prices. Food is a basic human need, no other human requisite is a priority. We obtain all the necessary food energy from plants, either directly (consumption of vegetables, cereals, fruits…) or indirectly (consumption of meat, fish, milk, eggs and others).
The IFAMA 2024 World Conference will be held in Almeria (Spain) in June. The theme of the conference is Food Security Through Innovation & Sustainability. The perspective of a sustainable global food system defined in 4 axes: Production Evolution and Transformation; Economic Competitiveness; Sustainability through Legislation and Social Impacts. This approach is supported by the Triptolemos Foundation UNESCO Chair on Science and innovation for sustainable development: global Food production and Food Safety.
The 4 axes are interrelated and must be in harmony to achieve the proper functioning of the sustainable global food system aligned with the 17 SDGs. The challenges will only be resolved if they are approached holistically as a food system, considering all its variables and their interactions, not just the economic or environmental ones. The equilibrium will work when there is no dominance of any of the factors over the rest. If there is dominance of any factor or any axis, the equilibrium in the food system is destroyed. There are extensive efforts to raise awareness and promote actions in the fields of the environmental, social and governance (ESG), but in general from one or more axes without exploring all interrelationships.
It is time, given the severity of the environment, to place human nutrition a priority action over any other activity. From the management of its axes separately (FAO, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF…) in the responsibilities of universal governance, a specific coordination body with a system vision not only from the management of its axes separately, is needed.
This global governance should begin with a recognition that the feeding of humanity is a primary factor in all its activity and that it acts with a complex system. Studies should be promoted on it that assess its operation, and from this, generate management recommendations and actions. This working group, with its own identity and representative of the four axes of universal themes mentioned, should develop its activity by proven scientific consensus. Avoiding ideological vetoes or economic interest, it should be a comprehensive project, with objectives and commitments and with power to penalize. It should act not only in collaboration with the climate change group, but also with relationships and collaborations with public and private entities such as IFAMA and other NGO organizations, representing the different aspects of the global food system.
All of this, in order to find the balance of the sustainable global food system, a necessary condition to achieve the common objective: the sustainability of humanity within the sustainability of the planet.
The European Green Deal proposes a series of lines of action that should turn the EU into a neutral climate zone by 2050. The role of agriculture is key, both for food production and for mitigating climate change. Full implementation of the knowledge and technologies available at all stages of the chain is necessary. We must act in a coordinated manner, with commitment and with a global projection in the 4 axes to achieve a sustainable and socially balanced global food system. The EU cannot act alone. The EU must use all its capacities to mobilize its neighbours and associates, in order to join in an urgent sustainable development strategy in the short term due to the climate emergency and the urgencies of environmental disasters, but which is long lasting and sustained over time, accepting the need to preserve its security of supply and competitivity, through safe quality food, respectful of the environment and social conditions.
At IFAMA’s 34th annual World IFAMA Conference in Almería (Spain), experts from different specialties will analyze Food Security through Innovation and Sustainability from the vision of a sustainable global food system.
IFAMA acts as a catalyst and clearinghouse for ideas and talent, driving the global food and agribusiness system to respond in an innovative, effective and rapid way to the world’s changing needs and was formed to stimulate strategic thinking across the spectrum of the global food system. It is an ideal setting to raise this debate, reinforced by being a global networking organization that acts as a bridge between the agricultural industry, researchers, educators, government, consumer groups and non-governmental organizations.