Issue #5: The Growing Global Demand for Innovative Food Systems

Over 280 million people across 59 countries face high levels of acute food insecurity. Yet rather than improving, worldwide hunger is expected to worsen in the coming year. Investment in sustainable food systems, coupled with new ways of thinking, is critical to reverse this trend.

According to the FII PRIORITY Compass 2024 report, only 65% of people around the globe are satisfied with their access to a variety of high-quality food. This access gap is only expected to widen.

Acute food insecurity is projected to grow in 16 hunger hotspots spanning 14 countries over the next six months as outlined in the most recent UN Hunger Hotspots report.

There are four main drivers of hunger, each of which require communities to adapt.

Addressing food insecurity calls for coordinated global efforts and strong political commitment. Currently, the digital and economic divide between the Global North and the Global South is exacerbating the problem.

International groups, governments and local communities must work together to develop and implement policies and processes that ensure equitable food distribution, improve agricultural practices and build resilience against climate and economic shocks.

If distributed fairly, precision farming, which uses cutting-edge technology such as data analytics, IoT devices and AI to optimize farming practices, offers great promise in enhancing productivity and resilience, maximizing yield while reducing waste and resource usage.

Some of the most powerful innovations to fight global hunger include:

We currently stand at a pivot point. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says farmers will have to increase food production by 70% in order to feed the global population of 2050.

We have the tools to get there. But success is only possible if we think beyond borders.

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Join FII Institute as we explore the frontiers of knowledge and lead the charge towards a brighter future. Our FII Institute TV channel spotlights transformative technologies, visionary leaders, and stories that inspire, inform and ignite change. Watch our most recent ESG and food systems episodes below:

Majed Alassaf, Head of Consumer Goods and Retail at PIF, Joseph Rehmann, Founder and CEO of Victory Farms, Federico Trucco, CEO of Bioceres and Fernando Galletti de Queiroz, CEO of Minerva Foods were interviewed at FII8 on the critical need for food system innovation in the face of a growing population, climate change and resource scarcity, including the role of data and technology in improving agricultural efficiency and sustainability.

Agricultural and food production leaders Yasser Abdul Malak, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé MENA, Sanjiv Puri, Chairman & Managing Director at ITC Limited, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Founder of BUA Group and Joseph Rehmann, Founder and CEO of Victory Farms sat down at FII8 to discuss Africa’s vast potential to address food insecurity, with 65% of the world’s arable land on the continent. ?

Marc Lore, Founder and CEO of Wonder, and Sam Nazarian, Founder of SBE Entertainment Group were interviewed at FII8 on their outlook for innovation in healthcare and food delivery, including integrating telehealth and advanced diagnostics to make healthcare more accessible and preventative.

FII Institute Perspectives

Technology and Food Security Impact Report (2024) – In a world marked by rapid technological progress and significant global challenges, the integration of food security and technology is vital. Technologies like precision farming, AI analytics and blockchain are revolutionizing food production, distribution and consumption.

Sustainable Food Systems: South America’s Role in Ensuring Global Food Security and Combatting Climate Change (2024) – Food security is not merely about meeting present needs, but also about ensuring the long-term resilience of agricultural systems. Regenerative agriculture, including sustainable livestock production, carbon sequestration and nature-based carbon credit markets, is essential for addressing this challenge.

The Right to Nutrition: How to Feed the World (2022) – The world is facing its greatest food security crisis since World War II, as progress made to reduce hunger in recent decades is going into reverse. FII Institute analyzes the scale of the problem, highlights good practices from around the world, and presents a ten-point plan of practical and achievable solutions.

FII Institute Recommended Reading

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warn that acute food insecurity is projected to worsen. Without immediate humanitarian efforts and concerted international action to address severe access constraints and advocate for the de-escalation of conflict and insecurity, further starvation and loss of life are likely in Palestine, the Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. Addressing and preventing famine in these regions will require greater investment in integrated solutions that cut across traditional mandates, targeting the root causes of food insecurity and reducing dependency on emergency aid.

The 2024 edition of the Lancet Countdown, which tracks progress on health and climate change, noted that the increase in drought and heatwave events from 1981-2010 was associated with 151 million more people experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity across 124 countries assessed in 2022.

Researchers and environmental advocates say evidence is accumulating that improving soil health can make crops more resilient to drought and extreme weather – and they want governments to offer financial incentives to farmers who use regenerative practices to climate-proof farmland. Read more in Nature.

Meanwhile, as businesses and governments increase their focus on regenerative agriculture,?NPR looks at the hype and the reality behind its climate claims.

Forbes explored how generative AI is helping food companies optimize productivity, accelerate sustainability, enhance human health, and ensure that food production meets the needs of both consumers and producers without compromising the health of the planet.

Farmers are interested in climate-smart agriculture, but a lack of capital and a lack of credible, transparent measurement practices are holding them back. Boston Consulting Group and Food Systems for the Future put together a plan to close the measurement gap.