Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, global food systems were faced with a formidable “triple challenge” of simultaneously providing food security and nutrition to a growing global population, ensuring the livelihoods of millions of people working along the food chain from farm to fork, and ensuring the environmental sustainability of the sector. Yet policy efforts have not been moving in this direction, and global trade in agriculture and food remains highly distorted. COVID-19 is compelling policy makers to make urgent decisions to ensure food supply chains continue to function, but the fundamental task is to address these immediate disruptions while also investing in the long-term goal of a resilient, sustainable and productive global food system. Ending inefficient and environmentally harmful support would free up resources for a more forward-looking policy package. The unanticipated shock of COVID-19 underscores the urgency of moving away from “business as usual”.

Transforming global food systems: Towards policies that enable increased productivity, sustainability, and resilience
There is an opportunity today to reinvigorate reform ambitions. As result of the COVID-19 crisis, governments have the opportunity to pursue progressive agendas in global food systems. Ending inefficient and environmentally harmful support would free up resources for investments to address the triple challenge more effectively. By adopting a policy package that includes investments in technological development and regulatory reform, governments can create conditions supporting productive, sustainable and resilient food systems able to withstand future shocks. The unanticipated shock of COVID-19 underscores the urgency of a shift from ‘business as usual’ policies to a more forward looking policy package for global food systems.