Putting food in the driver's seat: aligning food-systems policy to advance sustainability, health, and security

Food is a basic need, but seldom a basic policy area. Food systems are widely governed by disconnected policies distributed across a range of sectors including agriculture, education, health, environment, economy, and security. Failure to align food system strategies often results in these disparate policies operating at cross-purposes. Conventional food production and consumption practices contribute to biodiversity decline and climate change, cause diet-related health problems, are associated with worker exploitation, and create national security risks. Drawing on agroecology for cohesive national food strategies can provide benefits across all these sectors: supporting public health, environmental sustainability, economic stability, social cohesion, and national security and sovereignty.

Automated summary

Food systems are governed by policies from various sectors, and the lack of alignment can lead to conflicts. Conventional food practices contribute to problems such as climate change, health issues, and exploitation. Agroecology can provide cohesive national food strategies with benefits in multiple areas.