A reflection on the CFS (Committee on World Food Security) Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition in advance of the United Nations Food Security Summit

Abstract

Background Established in 1974, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is a multi-stakeholder platform which promotes an integrated private and public partnership to address the urgent challenges facing global food security and nutrition. While some improvements were made, the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were offset by increasing food insecurity and environmental regressions (UN, 2020). The Covid 19 pandemic has exacerbated global food shortages where as a result an estimated 2.37 billion people are now faced with moderate or severe food insecurity, an increase of 320 million people from the previous year (FAO, 2021). The widespread economic and social impact of the pandemic has also laid bare the vulnerability of global food systems, highlighting the urgent need for a more resilient and sustainable approach to ensure food and nutrition security for all.