Food Policy in 2018–2019

2018 was a somber and unpredictable year, not only for food and nutrition security, but also for global political stability and international development. Many regions of the world faced rising rates of hunger and stagnation in tackling malnutrition. Countries saw dramatic shifts in multilateral and bilateral relations. Trade protectionism and antiglobalism emerged as central themes in many national political landscapes, and foreign direct investment in food and agriculture suffered. Rural people around the world continued to face a crisis as they struggled with food insecurity, persistent poverty, and degraded land and water. In a rare bright spot, there was renewed emphasis on using entrepreneurial innovation and technologies to address development issues.

If the world is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, a fundamental transformation of our food and agricultural system and of rural areas is urgently needed. As this Global Food Policy Report highlights, rural revitalization is the linchpin of such a transformation. Revitalizing rural areas can stimulate economic growth and begin to address the crises in these regions, and also tackle both new and persistent challenges that are holding back achievement of the SDGs. As this report makes clear, rural revitalization is timely, achievable, and, most important, critical to ending hunger and malnutrition in just over a decade.