UNEP Report Released: Avoiding Future Famines: Strengthening the Ecological Basis of Security through Sustainable Food Systems

This month, the United Nations Environment Programme released a new report titled, Avoiding Future Famines: Strengthening the Ecological Basis of Security through Sustainable Food Systems. The 80-page report which is available here,

addresses an important aspect of the food security discourse: the ecological foundation of food security. The report argues that while factors such as availability, access, utilization and stability must be given adequate attention for global food security to be achieved, an underlying factor – the ecological dimension is not only largely being overlooked but is also being undermined.

The report has two main objectives:

• To describe the problem. What is the significance of the ecological foundation of food security and how is this foundation being undermined by societal pressures 

• To proffer some possible solutions. How can we build sustainable food systems?

The report was developed through collaboration among key international organizations including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).