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Hidden Hunger and the Transformation of Food Systems

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journalism on the health impacts of food systems. Different forms of research involving a wider range of actors and sources of knowledge are also required to rebalance the playing field and challenge prevailing problem framings.

      Third, we need to know more about the positive health impacts and positive externalities of alternative food and farming systems (e.g., agroecological crop and livestock management approaches that build soil nutrients, sequester carbon in the soil, or restore ecosystem functions such as pollination and water purification). It is crucial to document and communicate the potential of alternative systems to: reconcile productivity gains, environmental resilience, social equity, and health benefits; strengthen yields on the basis of rehabilitating ecosystems (not at their expense); build nutrition on the basis of access to diverse foods; and redistribute power and reduce inequalities in the process.

      Fourth, we need to adopt and apply the precautionary principle. The negative health impacts identified above are interconnected, self-reinforcing, and systemic in nature. However, this complexity cannot be an excuse for inaction. Disease prevention must increasingly be understood in terms of identifying specific risk factors by the accumulation of evidence from many different studies, from many different disciplines, as well as in terms of the collective strength, consistency, plausibility, and coherence of the evidence base. In this light, there is a clear need to call upon the precautionary principle – developed to manage these complexities and requiring policymakers to weigh the collective evidence on risk factors and act accordingly – to protect public health.

      Fifth, we need to build integrated and coherent food policies under participatory governance. Policy processes must be up to the task of managing the complexity of food systems and the systemic health risks they generate. Integrated food policies and food strategies are required to overcome the traditional biases in sectoral policies (e.g., export orientation in agricultural policy) and to align various policies with the objective of delivering environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable food systems. Integrated food policies allow trade-offs to be weighed up, while providing a framework for long-term systemic objectives to be set (e.g., reducing the chemical load in food and farming systems, and devising strategies for tackling emerging risks such as antimicrobial resistance). These processes must be participatory. The general public must become a partner in public risk management and priority setting, and buy into the rationale and priorities underpinning it.

      Disclosure Statement

      The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

      References

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