Reflections and Conclusions

The concluding chapter reflects on the conceptual, empirical, and policy-related contributions that this book has made and identifies remaining unresolved issues. ‘Resilience’, ‘food system’, and even ‘food security’ were seen to be elusive and contested concepts. A food systems’ lens is more holistic than conventional preoccupations with agriculture and food prices, by highlighting for instance the relatively neglected role of food processors in food security analysis. Global and national food systems are increasingly resilient, even against shocks like COVID-19 lockdowns, but climate change raises fundamental challenges. Moreover, paradoxes remain, such as the coexistence of high levels of undernutrition and overnutrition in countries where food systems appear to be performing efficiently. Governments, international agencies, civil society, the private sector, and local communities all have important complementary roles to play. But there are difficult policy trade-offs to negotiate: whether to promote higher crop yields or lower crop volatility, for instance, or whether to intervene in food systems by taxing unhealthy foods (e.g. sugar), which could benefit consumers but would harm affected farmers. Ultimately, at global, national, and local levels, well-functioning, sustainable and equitable food systems need to deliver not only enough food, but affordable access for all to sustainable healthy diets.