REPUBLIC OF YEMEN

Ministry of Planning and Development

SCALING UP NUTRITION SECRETARIAT

Issue ( 10 ) Oct 2021

Read in the issue:

» The Global Burden of

Introduction: Malnutrition at a
The food that a person consumes in his daily life of local or imported agricultural, animal and industrial Glance
products is nothing but the result of a long series of steps, procedures, and the enormous material and » Food Systems Summit
human potentials that work in various economic, productive, industrial, commercial sectors. These » Food Systems Dia-
processes also involve elements that often go unseen, such as food preferences and resource logues
investments. » Components of Food
The term “food system” refers to the constellation of activities involved in producing, processing, Systems
transporting and consuming food. Food systems touch every aspect of human existence. The health of » External Drivers of
our food systems profoundly affects the health of our bodies, as well as the health of our environment, Food Systems
our economies and our cultures. When they function well, food systems have the power to bring us » Outcomes of Food Sys-
together as families, communities and nations. tems
But too many of the world’s food systems are fragile, unexamined and vulnerable to collapse, as millions
» Food Systems Summit
of people around the globe have experienced first-hand during the COVID-19 crisis. When our food Compendium
systems fail, the resulting disorder threatens our education, health and economy, as well as human
rights, peace and security. As in so many cases, those who are already poor or marginalized are the most vulnerable.
The good news is that we know what we need to do to get back on track. Scientists agree that transforming our food systems is
among the most powerful ways to change course and make progress towards all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Rebuilding
the food systems of the world will also enable us to answer the UN Secretary General’s call to “build back better” from COVID-19.
We are all part of the food system, and so we all must come together to bring about the transformation that the world needs.
For a better, healthier and more productive life, we realize that food is the goal that all stakeholders must join together to provide,
so that the food is of nutritional value and balanced formulations, containing the elements necessary for the needs of the human
body, to ensure providing it with positive energy that is reflected in human’s well-being and productivity.

Food Systems Summit

In 2021

The Global Burden of Malnutrition at a Glance

The world has made some progress towards achieving global to meet the stunting target and 49 countries are on course to
nutrition targets. However, this progress is far too slow and meet the wasting target, yet 21.3% of children under 5 years of
malnutrition persists at high levels. Few countries are on age are still affected by stunting and 6.9% by wasting.
course to meet any of the targets for maternal, infant and young Worldwide, 53 countries are on course to prevent an increase
child nutrition (MIYCN). The latest available data shows that no in the prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years
country is on course to reduce the prevalence of anaemia of age, which currently affects 5.6% of children.
among women of reproductive age, with one in three (32.8%)
Very few countries around the world are on course to meet the
women aged 15 to 49 years affected, particularly those who are
targets for diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). No
pregnant. Globally, it is estimated that 14.6% of infants have a
country is on course to halt the rise of obesity, with 15.1% of
low weight at birth, with only 11 countries on course to meet
adult (aged 18 years or over) women and 11.1% of adult men
the low birth weight target. Some progress has been made
living with obesity globally. At the same time, diabetes is
towards achieving the exclusive breastfeeding target, with 32
estimated to affect 7.9% of adult women and 9.0% of adult men,
countries on course and 44% of infants aged 0 to 5 months
with very few countries on course to prevent these numbers
worldwide exclusively breastfed. Thirty countries are on course
from increasing.

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What is the Food Systems Summit? The United Nations Secretary-General’s

In 2021, UN Secretary-General Antó nio Food Systems Summit 2021 will
Guterres convened the Food Systems Summit  Contribute to transforming the ways in which
as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the
people’s food is produced and consumed;
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by
2030. The Summit launched bold new  Help food systems become more sustainable
actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, and equitable; and
each of which relies to some degree on
 Advance progress on all 17 Sustainable
healthier, more sustainable and equitable
food systems. Development Goals.
The Summit awaken the world to the fact that we all must work Objectives and tracks of the Food Systems
together to transform the way the world produces,
consumes and thinks about food. It is a summit for everyone
Summit
everywhere – a people’s summit. It is also a solutions summit The United Nations Food Systems Summit has five
that will require everyone to take action to transform the objectives:
world’s food systems.
1. Ensuring safe and nutritious food for all;
Guided by five Action Tracks, the Summit brought together key
players from the worlds of science, business, policy, healthcare 2. Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns;
and academia, as well as farmers, indigenous people, youth or-
3. Boosting nature-positive food production;
ganizations, consumer groups, environmental activists, and
other key stakeholders. Before, during and after the 4. Advancing equitable livelihoods of people involved in food
Summit, these actors will come together to bring about systems;
tangible, positive changes to the world’s food systems.
5. Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.

The Summit process aims to deliver the fol- These are the five Summit Action Tracks

lowing outcomes: Summit participants

 Generate significant action and measurable progress
Food producers, processors, distributors, and retailers; youth
towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Summit succeeded in identifying solutions and and women’s organizations; consumer groups; indigenous
leaders, and issuing a call for action at all levels of the food peoples; environmental specialists; health professionals;
system, including national and local governments, nutritionists; economists, other scientists and practitioners;
companies and citizens. from local authorities, governments, businesses, the
 Raise awareness and elevate public discussion about how community, academic institutions, and other stakeholder
reforming our food systems can help us all to achieve the groups.
SDGs by implementing reforms that are good for people
and planet. Food Systems include
 Develop principles to guide governments and other
stakeholders looking to leverage their food systems to All people and the entire range of actors, as well as
support the SDGs. These principles will set an optimistic interconnected activities, involved in enabling people to access
and encouraging vision in which food systems play the food they need.
a central role in building a fairer, more sustainable
world. Principles of engagement Food Systems include the growing, harvesting,
 Create a system of follow-up and review to ensure that the packing, processing, distributing, selling, storing, marketing,
Summit’s outcomes continue to drive new actions and consuming, and disposing of food.
progress. This system will allow for the sharing of
experiences, lessons and knowledge; it will also measure
and analyse the Summit’s impact.

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Food Systems Dialogues - Action Tracks

The Summit’s Action Tracks offer stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds a space to share and learn, with a view to fostering
new actions and partnerships and amplifying existing initiatives. The Action Tracks are aligned with the Summit’s five objectives.
Importantly, the Action Tracks are not separate, nor do they sit in siloes. Each Action Track is designed to address possible trade-offs
with other tracks, and to identify solutions that can deliver wide-reaching benefits.

The Action Tracks will draw on the expertise of actors from across the world’s food systems. Together, they will explore how key cross
-cutting levers of change such as human rights, finance, innovation, and the empowerment of women and young people can be
mobilized to meet the Summit’s objectives.

Action Track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all (FAO)
Action Track 1 will work to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition and reduce the incidence of
non-communicable disease, enabling all people to be nourished and healthy. This goal requires that all people at
all times have access to sufficient quantities of affordable and safe food products. Achieving the goal means
increasing the availability of nutritious food, making food more affordable and reducing inequities in access to
food.

Action Track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns (WHO)

Action Track 2 will work to build consumer demand for sustainably produced food, strengthen local value
chains, improve nutrition, and promote the reuse and recycling of food resources, especially among the most
vulnerable. This Action Track recognizes that we need to eliminate wasteful patterns of food consumption; it
also recognizes that we need to facilitate a transition in diets towards more nutritious foods that require fewer
resources to produce and transport.

Action Track 3: Boost nature-positive production (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD)
Action Track 3 will work to optimize environmental resource use in food production, processing and
distribution, thereby reducing biodiversity loss, pollution, water use, soil degradation and greenhouse gas
emissions. In its pursuit of this goal, the Action Track will aim to deepen understanding of the constraints and
opportunities facing smallholder farmers and small-scale enterprises along the food value chain. It will also
strive to support food system governance that realigns incentives to reduce food losses and other negative
environmental impacts.

Action Track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods (IFAD)

Action Track 4 will work to contribute to the elimination of poverty by promoting full and productive
employment and decent work for all actors along the food value chain, reducing risks for the world’s poorest,
enabling entrepreneurship and addressing the inequitable access to resources and distribution of value. Action
Track 4 will improve resilience through social protection and seek to ensure that food systems “leave no one
behind.”

Action Track 5: Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress (WFP)

Action Track 5 will work to ensure the continued functionality of sustainable food systems in areas that are
prone to conflict or natural disasters. The Action Track will also promote global action to protect food supplies
from the impacts of pandemics. The ambition behind Action Track 5 is to ensure that all people within a food
system are empowered to prepare for, withstand, and recover from instability. Action Track 5 also aims to help
people everywhere participate in food systems that, despite shocks and stressors, deliver food security,
nutrition and equitable livelihoods for all.

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Components of Food Systems

Food Supply Chains Individual Factors
The food supply chain includes all the steps needed to Individual factors include a person’s economic status,
produce and move foods from field to fork. These steps thought process, dreams and aspirations, and overall life
consist of agricultural production, storage and distribution, situation. These factors all affect what foods a person buys
processing and packaging, and retail and marketing, among and eats. For example, a person’s income might determine
others. Farmers, processors, wholesalers, transporters, and what foods are affordable. For some people, nutrition
retailers are some of the people involved in food supply knowledge or environmental awareness affects what they
chains. The steps in the food supply chain are all connected. purchase and eat. Work or home environments can affect
Changes to one step affect other steps along the chain. Food how much time people have to shop for and prepare food.
supply chains are undergoing rapid transformations, These individual factors influence how people interact with
especially in low and middle-income countries, often leading their food environment and, ultimately, what they choose to
to more interaction between these urban and rural settings buy and eat.
and actors.
Consumer Behavior
Food Environments Consumer behavior includes people’s decisions about what
The food environment is where consumers interact with the kinds of foods they choose to eat, as well as how people
food system for the purpose of acquiring and eating food. The prepare, store, eat, and share food with others in their
food environment includes physical places, like stores or households. The food environment and individual factors also
markets where people buy food. It also includes social, affect consumer behavior. There is a large body of nuanced
economic, and cultural factors. Food availability and research on consumer behavior, but key indicators of
affordability; safety, quality, and convenience; and consumer behavior, based on data sourced across countries
advertising are all part of the food environment. These and globally agreed upon, are lacking.
characteristics of the food environment affect diets by
influencing the way people access foods.

Environmental Motors ( Climate Economic and social drivers

Economy, demographics, government,
- Soil - Biodiversity - Abundance)
technology, civilization

Natural Motors ( Volcanoes -

Solar Cycle - Tides )

Production
Environmental Wastage Socio-economic reactions
Reactions ( Greenhouse Gases) population change
Processing and
FOOD packaging
SYSTEM

Distribution /
Consumption
Retail

Outcomes of Food Systems

Environmental
Social Welfare
Well-being

Food Security

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External Drivers of Food Systems

External drivers affect food systems and their diet, nutrition, and health outcomes.

Climate Change Income Growth and Distribution

 Climate change is a significant, long-term shift in global Income growth can also lead to greater demand for animal
weather patterns and sea levels. The effects of source foods, which can stress food systems by putting more
unmitigated climate change will likely cause increased demands on land and water resources, and increasing
food insecurity. greenhouse gas emissions. Rising incomes can also lead
 climate change can lead to declines in fish populations and people to buy more unhealthy foods, such as sodas and highly
crop yields -processed, packaged foods. People may not have equal access
 climate change leads to more crop losses due to increased to healthy foods because of increased income inequality. In
disease susceptibility and extreme weather events. high-income countries, healthier foods – like fresh fruits and
 Food prices may increase because of agricultural losses vegetables – are typically more expensive than highly-
and declining crop yields. processed, packaged foods.

Globalization and Trade

Urbanization
 Globalization makes people and countries more
interconnected and interdependent.  In 2050, most of the world’s population (68%) is expected
 It shapes local economies and affects human health and to live in urban areas. The biggest increases in urban
nutrition in both positive and negative ways. populations will take place in Africa and Asia.
 Trade can allow people to access foods that may not be  Urbanization shapes a country’s food system – it creates
easily grown where they live or are less available during a longer food chains and limits agricultural land.
particular season.  urban areas are also typically centers of food technology
 It also makes foods less expensive through efficiency and innovation. This is because there is an increased need for
competition processing, packaging, and refrigeration, and more food
 The lowered cost of imported food and animal feed can losses.
increase access to animal source foods and lead to higher  Urbanization changes the food environment by increasing
protein intake, which is important for areas with high rates the number of supermarkets in an area.
of undernutrition.  urbanization can lead to food deserts and swamps. In these
 Globalization and trade can also have adverse effects on areas, access to healthy, fresh food is limited, but unhealthy
diets and nutrition. Unhealthy foods have become fast foods and highly-processed, packaged foods are
increasingly accessible and inexpensive around the world, plentiful.
 partly due to trade policies and widespread advertising.
People’s diets have changed from more traditional ones
Population Growth and Migration
high in minimally processed foods to those high in animal  In 2050, the world’s population is expected to increase by
source foods and highly-processed foods with a lot of salt, more than two billion people.
unhealthy fats, and added sugars. People are also less  Increases in population will put more stress on the current
physically active as a result of globalization. food system.
 All of these changes have contributed to the increasing  Due to global trade and migration, population growth in
burdens of overweight/ obesity and non-communicable one country can affect the food system in other regions as
diseases. well.
 countries may not be prepared for the influx of migrants
Socio-cultural Context fleeing conflict or severe weather events. Food systems
may not be able to supply everyone with a healthy diet.
 Social and cultural traditions shape diets by influencing
what foods are desirable, when and how meals are
prepared, and what traditions are practiced. Politics and Leadership
 In most cultures, food is a central part of holidays and
traditions, In some cultures, food may reflect a person’s A region’s policies on agriculture, nutrition, and trade affect
social status in society or the household. food systems. Economic policies on agricultural subsidies and
 Strong cultural ties to traditional foods and meal practices trade can influence the availability and affordability of certain
could work to prevent the shift to diets high in foods, which in turn can affect dietary intake. Governments
highly-processed foods and reliance on fast food can implement dietary guidelines to shape policies and
 In many cultures, certain foods are avoided for reasons promote healthy diets. For example, tax policies can be used
such as life stage (adult vs. childhood foods) or gender. to discourage eating unhealthy foods like soda and
 In particular, culture has a strong influence on what people highly-processed, packaged foods. Political will and
eat while pregnant or lactating. investment are needed to make sure that there are sufficient
resources to create a sustainable food system.

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Outcomes of Food Systems

Diet Outcomes Nutrition and Health Outcomes

Diets are influenced by all aspects of the food system, and Healthy diets are essential for nutrition and health. Poor diets
they affect nutrition and health. The World Health are one of the main risk factors for deaths globally. Unhealthy
Organization states that a healthy diet starts early in life and diets are a leading risk factor for disease and can lead to
includes a diversity of foods — starchy staples, legumes, undernutrition, which is associated with poor cognitive
fruits, vegetables, and foods from animals, like meat and development and increased susceptibility to infections. Diets
dairy. It balances the intake and expenditure of energy, and that lack essential nutrients may lead to micronutrient
limits salt, fat, added sugar, highly-processed foods, and sugar deficiencies. Children, women, and other nutritionally-
sweetened beverages. Throughout the world, people still do vulnerable populations are especially susceptible to poor
not have access to adequate calories or a diversity of healthy, health outcomes from these deficiencies. Diets that exceed
nutrient-rich foods. This lack of access results in hunger and recommended energy intake – especially diets that consist of
micronutrient deficiencies. Rising incomes have increased the unhealthy eating patterns – can lead to overweight, obesity,
availability and accessibility of nutrient-rich foods like fruits, and non- communicable diseases, like diabetes and cardiovas-
vegetables, and seafood. However, globalization and rising cular diseases. Diets high in sodium and low in whole grains,
incomes have also contributed to people eating more fruit, nuts, vegetables, and omega3-fatty acids contribute to an
unhealthy foods, like highly-processed foods and sugar increased risk of death. Food safety, antimicrobial resistance,
sweetened beverages. Researchers, policy makers, and con- and pesticide usage also affect the health of consumers and
sumers are also increasingly focused on the environmental people who work within the food system.
sustainability of diets. Diets and food systems have major im-
pacts on the use and degradation of land and water resources,
as well as on greenhouse gas emissions.

Economic Impacts Social Impacts

Globally, the food system is one of the main sectors of employ- Food systems play an important role in societal
ment. Agriculture is a major contributor to the economies of well-being – they help to make sure that all members of
low- and middle-income countries. Changes in food systems society are able to be as healthy as possible. To achieve this
and shifts in dietary patterns can have large economic effects goal, food systems can help ensure that all members of society
on farmers, retail owners, and consumers. For example, in- have equitable access to a healthy diet. They can also
creases in imported food products may lead to more competi- guarantee that food system workers have well-paying jobs
tion for smallholder farmers and reduce the production of and safe working conditions. Equitable food systems help
domestic staples. However, support for export industries may promote community health, gender equality, labor rights, and
contribute to an increase in the production of cash crops by animal rights.
local producers. Trade can also lead to more investment in the
food industry and technology sector, which creates new jobs.

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Food Systems Summit Compendium
“As a human family, a world free from hunger is our imperative”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Healthier, more inclusive, sustainable and equitable food systems have the power to catalyse the achievement of all 17 Sustainable
Development Goals by 2030 in every country. Collectively recognizing this, people from all walks of life and generations,
government representatives, youth, indigenous peoples and food producers at all scales and a wide range of international
organizations, followed the Secretary-General Antó nio Guterres’ call on World Food Day 2019 and came together to design and
deliver the “People’s”, and “Solutions’” Summit.
Unprecedented efforts took place worldwide, bringing together more than 500 experts from about 250 0rganisations, representa-
tives from farmers, youth and indigenous peoples and 70 countries regularly contributing to the Summit’s Action Tracks’ work,
more than 28 internationally renowned experts, representing networks of thousands of scientists active in the Scientific Group,
over forty organisations from the UN System, and more than one hundred thousand individuals engaged through dialogues, to
design bold new actions and deliver progress on all 17 SDGs through tangible and positive changes to the world’s food systems.

SUMMIT OUTCOMES
The UN Food Systems Summit launched bold new actions, solutions, and strategies to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of
which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable, and equitable food systems. The Summit will awaken the world to the
fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes, and thinks about food. To achieve this, the
entire process works towards the following outcomes:
 Significant action and commitment to action, with measurable outcomes and impact that enable achievement of the
SDGs by 2030. This will include highlighting existing solutions and celebrating leaders in food systems transformation, as well as
calling for new actions worldwide by different actors, including countries, cities, companies, civil society, citizens, and food pro-
ducers.
 Dramatically elevated public discourses at community, national, regional, and global levels about the urgency to
transform food systems, and that call and empower billions of citizens and youth among the broad public to take concrete
actions and to support the necessary individual and institutional behavioural shifts.
 Significant Member State and multi-stakeholder action that enable measurable progress on the achievement of the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Leadership in food systems transformation will be celebrated, and new actions
unlocked with the support of committed coalitions of partners and associated finance worldwide.
 A system of follow-up and review actions to ensure that the Summit’s outcomes sustain momentum until 2030. It will
celebrate progress, identify and address bottlenecks on the basis of best available data and evidence, and allow for the sharing of
experiences and cross-fertilization.

Coalitions in the context of the Food Systems Summit

Each programme of national dialogues has led to the identifica- have been inspired by the options explored during national
tion of strengths and vulnerabilities in the national food dialogues. They are being designed to help nations and regions
system, often calling for further collaboration on specific issues to advance the Summit’s vision of more inclusive, resilient,
involving multiple stakeholders and cutting across a range of equitable, and sustainable food systems by 2030. They will do
sectors, often involving more than one country, within this in ways that are aligned with each country’s priorities and
a defined region or internationally. adapted to the local context.
Over the past months, hundreds of individuals, governments, Initiatives, alliances and coalitions are designed to offer
organizations and institutions are joining forces to support the tailored support to countries in response to their interests and
transformation of food systems in line with the ambitions of priorities, on a strictly voluntary basis. Support from these
the summit. initiatives, alliances and coalitions will help with the shift to
They have participated in the Summit’s Action Tracks, future food systems by facilitating access to networks of
cross-cutting levers of change and Scientific group. They have experience and expertise, from local to global; by encouraging
coalesced around a number of issues that are high priority in alignment and coherence; by catalyzing coordinated
national food systems transformation: they are proposing investment and collective action; by mobilizing resources, en-
initiatives, alliances and coalitions to accelerate collective ergy and political will; and by support for learning through the
action. These emerging initiatives, alliances and coalitions exchange of knowledge, lessons, best practices and capacities.
110 pathways for the transformation of national food systems have been uploaded to the Summit Dialogues website. Food systems
transformation is being accelerated and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals in as many as 90 countries: each on its
individual journey though with prospects for joint working eg in Mekong sub-region .
The UN is establishing a Food Systems Coordination Hub to ensure that different parts of the UN system offer joined up support for
national Food Systems Transformation.
the information page about the coalitions in the Food Systems Community
References: The Food Summit Website: https://summitdialogues.org/

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