Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Food Security Group

Minten, B., B. Belton, T. Reardon. (2023). Agrifood Value Chains: Building resilient food systems. Chapter 4 in IFPRI. (2023) Global Food Policy Report: Rethinking Food Crisis Responses. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Foreword

The past decade has been marked by multiple, often overlapping, crises. The COVID-19 pandemic, various natural disasters, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have all threatened the fabric of our global food systems. This string of crises has left an indelible mark. In too many places, progress in reducing poverty and malnutrition has been reversed, with long-term implications for people’s health and livelihoods. While in some ways our food systems have also proved surprisingly resilient, as both the private and public sectors have stepped up to meet new needs, the challenges are huge. As climate change worsens and geopolitical strife grows amid the threat of more frequent pandemics, crises may well become more common and more devastating. Now is the time to rethink how we address food crises. Many governments, donors, and international organizations have called for moving beyond humanitarian responses that are implemented only after a crisis begins, toward better prediction, preparation, and resilience building that will make future crises less devastating. While discussions of a humanitarian-development-peace approach have been underway for years, this report aims to provide a solid policy basis for moving forward. The 2023 Global Food Policy Report explores a growing body of evidence on how diverse policy responses can reduce both the immediate and longer-term impacts of food crises, and improve livelihoods, incomes, and food security and nutrition for the future. Drawing on research from IFPRI and other CGIAR centers, it provides evidence-based policy recommendations for governments, donors, and nongovernmental organizations. We hope that this year’s report will help shape a transformation in how we respond to the shocks that threaten our food systems, by contributing evidence and policy options to inform discussions among local, national, and global policymakers. We look forward to engaging with many partners around the world to expand this research work and support action for better crisis response.