Food systems in transition: Ensuring healthy diets for all

A woman standing in front of a table that is covered with various vegetables. A market with various people can be seen in the background.

Context

After decades of progress, global hunger is on the rise again due to climate change, protracted conflicts, and economic challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have further exacerbated the situation by disrupting supply chains and raising food prices. In 2022, it is estimated that around 735 million people worldwide suffered from hunger. That is just under one in ten people.

As a result, the partner countries of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) are faced with the task of transforming their agricultural and food systems to ensure healthy and affordable food for all. The challenge, and at the same time the great opportunity, presented by this transformation, is establishing economically viable concepts that combine socio-political requirements with climate action and environmental protection on land and at sea.

Objective

German development cooperation promotes the transformation of agricultural and food systems in BMZ partner countries towards increased resilience, sustainability, better health, and gender equality.

Two people standing in a fishpond holding a net in their hands.

Approach

The programme advises BMZ on how to position itself in the field of food and nutrition security and make well-founded decisions. To this end, it uses experiences, strategies and positions that draw on rights-based approaches, taking into account cross-cutting issues such as climate change, biodiversity and gender equality. It is active in three areas:

Transformation of food systems
It works to establish systemic and multi-sectoral approaches that ensure a healthy, sustainable and affordable nutrition for everyone.
Global agendas for food and nutrition security and fisheries
It supports the development of policy and institutional frameworks that enable food and nutrition security, both at international and national level.
Responsible fisheries and aquaculture
It supports the sustainable use of aquatic foods and the establishment of equitable fisheries and aquaculture value chains to ensure safe and nutritious food as well as higher incomes.