Knowledge synthesis and translation in global food and nutrition security to evaluate and accelerate priority actions.

Abstract

As highlighted in the global nutrition report (GNR) 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, there is increasing emphasis on the central role of nutrition in health and well-being.1 As the pandemic has challenged our food and health systems, the necessary measures to contain the spread of the disease have impacted and tested the food supply and agriculture sector. In the long term, if we fail to act, there will be untold impacts on food security, nutrition and the livelihoods of farmers, fishers and other workers in the food supply chain. Furthermore, the impact will be felt even harder in food security ‘hot spots’, including fragile and conflict-affected states, countries affected by multiple crises, the marginalised and vulnerable as well as countries with significant currency depreciation.2 3 The United Nations (UN) World Food Programme has warned that an estimated 265 million people could face food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from an estimated number of 135 million people before the crisis.4 However, while the pandemic poses serious challenges for the food security in the short term, it provides a unique opportunity to transform the food and agriculture sector in the long term to establish resilient food systems to …