In a world that produces enough food to feed its entire population, more than 1.5 billion people cannot afford a diet that meets the required levels of essential nutrients while over 3 billion people cannot afford the cheapest healthy diet. People without access to healthy diets live in all regions of the world. Meanwhile, half of the global adult population is now overweight, contributing to the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases and related healthcare costs.

At the same time, our food systems are a major cause of biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of a large number of natural resources. 

These impacts are mostly being felt by groups already made vulnerable by the ongoing agriculture and food transformation, particularly smallholder family farmers, rural workers, indigenous people, migrants, and underemployed/unemployed women and men. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, some 1.6 billion already vulnerable workers in the informal economy – half of the global workforce – may be significantly affected.