EDITORIAL - Sustainable food security

Before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, an estimated three billion people – nearly 40 percent of humanity – could not afford to eat healthily, according to the United Nations. The pandemic and its economic impacts “have made a bad situation even worse,” according to the UN, with another 140 million people unable to access their food requirements.

The problem is evident in the Philippines, where people have risked COVID infection and waited in long lines to get small food packs at community pantries and similar food distribution activities.

Hunger is not the only problem that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Undernourishment and obesity caused by unhealthy food are also on the rise. Global food security remained a key concern as World Food Day was observed on Oct. 16.

While many people are going hungry, food wastage is another problem. Food production also continues to take a toll on the environment. There is also the challenge of making healthy food more accessible and affordable, and food production systems more efficient, resilient and sustainable.

Last month at the UN Food Systems Summit, countries committed to implement measures to confront those challenges, and be on track to achieve food-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The challenge is always greater for developing countries such as the Philippines, where undernourishment and malnutrition are causing a host of early childhood problems such as stunting.

The Philippines faces additional challenges in food security due to climate change, which affects food production. The country is one of the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of extreme weather disturbances and rising ocean temperatures, which have decreased fish catch and further damaged coral reefs that serve as spawning grounds for marine life. Destructive fishing methods aggravate the problem.

A positive aspect of food security is that there are many ways by which the issue can be addressed, through active interventions and changes in food production, distribution and consumption. As the UN points out on the occasion of World Food Day, “our actions are our future” and the power to change is in our hands.