After all, we all eat food. Every day. What we eat and how we produce it affects our planet and our societies like no other human activity. Current farming is largely responsible for the alarming loss of biodiversity and soil fertility and the strain on water resources. Nearly one third of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from the food system.<\/p>

At the same time, from a global perspective, the food sector is doing a poor job of fulfilling its actual purpose: today, around two billion people are suffering from hunger or malnutrition, and three billion people\u2019s diets are harmful to their health. Those who make their living in the food system \u2013 farmers, processors, cooks, vendors \u2013 are often in the lowest income groups.<\/p>

At the UN summit, the global community discussed what the future of our food systems should look like. In the run-up to the meeting, tens of thousands of people and hundreds of organisations from civil society, politics, science and the private sector, across 145 countries, have been debating possible solutions. A surprising level of consensus has now been reached: \u201cBusiness as usual\u201d is not an option; a paradigm shift is urgently needed. The current focus on the highest possible yields and cheap calories leads to a dead end and causes unbearable social costs. Holistic approaches are needed in order to provide healthy food for all, produced in a way that respects the environment, animal welfare and human rights, and with fair wages for everyone.<\/p>