Research Provides the Bricks and Mortar for Our Food Systems to ‘Build Back Better’

Elwyn Grainger-Jones is the Executive Director of the CGIAR System Organization.By Elwyn Grainger-JonesMONTPELLIER, France, Jul 22 2020 (IPS) The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the structural weaknesses of today’s food systems, showing how quickly global networks of food production, trade and supply can waver under the impact of a single disease. By compromising access to safe, nutritious food through enforced restrictions on distribution and labour resulting in shortages and price rises, the coronavirus outbreak has shaken the foundations of global wellbeing, with repercussions for health, livelihoods, and equality. Elwyn Grainger-JonesBut while such an interconnected system, in which food and agriculture prop up healthy economies, environments and societies, has its vulnerabilities, it also points to potential strengths. By responding with the best available science and research on resilient, healthy and sustainable food systems, the global community can not only recover food security, but it can also build back better entire systems that support health, nutrition, incomes and climate action. This is why CGIAR’s response to COVID-19 is underpinned by four key pillars of research that provide crucial insights into how to transform food systems with short-, medium- and long-term changes for the better ahead of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. In the months leading up to the decisive summit, CGIAR will make the case for a science-based approach to response, recovery and r...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Climate Change Development & Aid Economy & Trade Featured Food & Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition Global Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news