The Global food system is at a critical stage and made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 265 million people are threatened by famine, up 50% from last year. 700 million suffer from chronic hunger and 2 billion more from malnutrition, with obesity and associated diet-related diseases increasing in all regions. During the height of the pandemic with lockdowns, we have witnessed the collapse of the global food system with reports of food producers resorting to dumping their produce. The food crisis faced during the pandemic is a wake-up call for both developed and developing countries of the looming crisis facing the world when the next major crisis hits us, be it climate change, pandemics etc.

Although the world has progressed significantly in terms of technological advancements in food production, food is not distributed in an equitable manner to regions, countries, households and individuals. Government policies, availability of investments and technological know-how including access to food supplies are key issues to meet the urgent food needs of the world’s growing population. New and innovative farming technologies such as high-tech agriculture and aquaculture methods that produce more yields inland and urban conditions offer hope for the future.

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 held on 17 September 2021, would be one of the most important events ever held to address the critical issues of food security from the local to global level, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. The summit will invite multi-stakeholders from governmental organisations, private sector businesses and NGOs to address the current disruptions and possible solutions on the world food supply chain. Discussions will also include issues surrounding sustainability issues and how societies and businesses can design more sustainable solutions in their entire food chain to minimize impact to the environment and reduce food waste.