VoxDev Development Economics S6 Ep34: Food policy: Lessons and priorities for a changing world
Aug 27, 2025
Johan Swinnen, Director General of IFPRI, and Purnima Menon, Senior Research Fellow, delve into pressing food policy issues. They discuss the evolution of global food security, highlighting successes and setbacks over the past 50 years. The impact of climate change on food systems and the importance of resilience are explored, especially for marginalized groups. Urbanization's effects on food access, particularly for the urban poor, are examined. They also address the manipulation of food access in conflict zones and stress the need for innovative solutions and equity in food value chains.
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Agri-Food Is More Than Farming
- Agri-food covers the whole chain from farm to fork, not just production.
- Off-farm value-chain activities have grown and matter for environment, health, and resilience.
Liberalization Reshaped Food Security
- Global liberalization since the 1980s reshaped food systems and trade patterns.
- That shift underpinned decades of improved food security until recent reversals.
Use Three Layers To Build Resilience
- Build resilience with three layers: prevention, preparedness, and response.
- Combine mitigation, information, and programs like social protection and insurance to handle shocks.
