Food security challenges: formidable but manageable

The core food security challenge of the coming generations is how to sharply increase the number and share of people who can afford and choose a healthy diet. In doing so, reversing the past decade’s disruptions to the prior half century’s remarkable progress. Prof. Chris Barrett shared his expertise in food systems economics in the seminar entitled “Food Security Strategies for a Changing World” on 08 June 2022. For the audience of 80 guests at ETH Zurich and another 75 online, he focused on how successful transformation of our food system will require the combination of accelerated technological change with a range of policy, institutional and cultural innovations.

Prof. Barrett started the session talking about why we should embrace the urgency of food security challenges, but reject the alarmism of the phrase a “looming food catastrophe.” He commented that we do face challenges, but there will be a food catastrophe only if we fail to heed the signals that are before us. He mentioned it is important to not be dismissive of the huge challenges that we face, but he claimed these challenges are formidable but manageable. Several past food security crises show the various scientific and societal innovations that successfully helped in recoveries. But he also highlighted the major unintended consequences of these successes; which are all learnings that should help shape actions today.

Prof. Barrett also spent time talking about the importance of investing in agrifood innovations that bring societal return. He mentioned many scientific and societal advances are ready for deployment, but we must address obstacles that make agrifood system research and development increasingly difficult, costly and mistargeted. He quoted statistics that in 2021, 35% of over 52 billion USD agrifood venture capital funding when to e-grocery apps. These are innovations at the very end of food value chains. Barrett suggested we need to adjust incentives to make solving societal problems financially attractive. Ways of inducing some of the flow of venture capital into the places that generate a high social return are needed. He advocated that we need to create policy and institutional changes and incentives that make doing business to help people profitable.

The seminar also focused on the idea of bundling technological and societal innovations. Prof. Barrett proposed that heterogeneous needs require a bundle of solutions. He highlighted the recently published open access book by Barrett, Jessica Fanzo and others, including Alexander Mathys from ETH Zurich, entitled external page Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles for Agri-Food Systems Transformation. This is an open access resource for those wanting to dive deeper into the topic.

The floor was then open to questions from the audience. One question focused on what should industry and policy makers do to increase food security. Prof. Barrett then commented on the need set up the right incentives and guardrails to induce responsible private behavior. He mentioned that is fundamental to keep in mind that the agrifood system is heavily decentralized and overwhelmingly private. He recommended that governments should set up guardrails to make sure private actors behave responsibly.

Watch the entire seminar, with questions from the audience to learn more about Prof. Barrett insights into Food Security Strategies for a Changing World.

We thank Chris Barrett for sharing his insights with us and all the guests both at ETH Zurich and online for their engagement.