Sustainable Food Security and Nutritional Challenges

Food security is an immensely complex issue connected to global food production and supply systems. One of the key challenges is to provide sufficient, safe, and nutritionally balanced food for everyone on the planet. It is closely linked to many factors including population growth, poverty, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. Currently, the world population is growing at an unprecedented rate, placing immense pressure on food production systems. Thus, meeting the increasing demand for food presents a significant challenge for the current global agriculture and food systems. The World Food Program reported that over 345 million people faced high levels of food insecurity in 2023. Additionally, 2 billion people are living with micronutrient deficiencies (such as vitamin A, iron, and iodine). Over time, a severely restricted food intake can cause malnutrition and reduce the lifespan. On the other hand, nearly 2 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and war zones have complicated the situation and resulted in increased hunger, lower immunity, increased infectious disease, and increased rates of early mortality. Furthermore, climate changes are disrupting traditional growing seasons, increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, and posing a serious threat to crop yields. This scenario warrants adaptation of sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems is crucial for improved and sustainable food security.