II Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and MalnutritionC O N C E P T N O T E

Increasing food production is no longer the main challenge to address hunger. The world

already produces more food than needed to feed all the global population, but around a third

of the food produced is either lost or wasted and most of the world’s poor people living in

rural areas – where most of the food is produced – are unable to fulfil their basic needs.

There is a strong need to increase access to food and raise incomes and economic oppor-

tunities for vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas. More specifically, there is a need

to increase access to healthy, nutritious, sustainably produced and culturally acceptable food

and to more remunerative, fair and inclusive markets.

Family farming7 is the predominant farming model worldwide, as it accounts for 90 per-

cent of the 608 million farms in the world and it produces the majority of the world’s food

in value terms. In spite of that, almost 80 percent of the world’s poor and food insecure live

in rural areas. Most of them are small-scale family farmers, who face difficulties accessing

productive resources, opportunities and markets. The concentration in value chains and the

distribution of economic benefits in food systems are also areas to consider. Solutions to

strengthen and diversify market opportunities for family farmers can contribute to increasing

the diversity of food systems and improve the availability and affordability of food.

On the production side, the promotion of sustainable agrifood systems must address the

increasing degradation of natural resources, rising greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodi-

versity, climate change and its repercussions on agriculture, with obvious impacts on food

security. This essential goal is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve including due to the

growing impact of climate change, an existential threat that requires immediate action to

achieve zero emissions in 2050 in full respect of the Paris Agreement.

Consumption patterns are evolving rapidly, with a continuously increasing number of

people looking for diets that are healthier, safer, more nature-positive, economically equita-

ble and socially just. This shift in consumer behaviour is constantly increasing the demand for

more healthy, sustainable and culturally appropriate food creating new market opportunities

for producers applying sustainable and diversified production practices. The emergence of

these new markets will foster the transition towards more sustainable production systems.

From another side, it will require attention from Nations to develop legislation, regulations,

programmes and policies to encourage and enable farmers to fulfil requirements, particularly

those without the means to pay for private certifications.

In light of this scenario, the United Nations 2030 Agenda calls on countries to redouble

their efforts to address the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2), which seeks to “end

hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”

in order to build a world where “no one is left behind”.

7 Family farming is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production that is managed and operated by a family, and is primarily reliant on the family labour of both women and men.

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