Introduction

Approximately 3 billion people across the globe have low-quality diets according to the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (2016). FAO estimates that more than 800 million people suffer from chronic hunger (SOFI, 2017). World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the World Bank (2013) report that 161 million children under the age of five are stunted, and that 3.4 million people die each year due to overweight and obesity. The cost of malnutrition is estimated by FAO at about 3.5 trillion USD per year (FAO, 2013), that is slightly less than the total value of food and agribusiness in the world, estimated by McKinsey at 5 trillion USD. Moreover, the incidence of overweight and obesity is growing in every region. The situation is set to worsen dramatically over the next 20 years if powerful drivers of change such as population growth, climate change and urbanization, all converging on food systems, are not adequately addressed.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Sustainable Cities and Communities