The members of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the first-ever voluntary guidelines on food systems and nutrition to end malnutrition and hunger on February 11, 2021.
Key Points
- The endorsement took place at the 47th Session of CFS that was held virtually February 8-11.
- CFS is an intergovernmental and international platform for stakeholders to work towards ensuring food security and nutrition for all.
- It is co-funded and hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- The guidelines on food systems and nutrition have been developed to support nations in their efforts to end malnutrition and hunger by utilizing a comprehensive food systems approach.
Seven Focus Areas
- The food systems approach and the guidelines are structured around 7 focus areas:
- Sustainable food supply chains for achieving healthy diets in the context of social, economic, and environmental sustainability and climate change.
- Democratic, Transparent, and accountable governance
- Equal access to healthy diets through sustainable food systems
- Food safety
- People-centered nutrition information, knowledge, and education
- Women empowerment and gender equality across food systems
- Resilient food systems in humanitarian contexts
The guidelines have been set up to complement the work and mandate of other international bodies, like the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025). The next step is now the implementation of the guidelines at the regional, national, and local levels.
