Policy Brief

Transforming the Global Agri-food System’s Monotony: Collaborative Solutions for Health, Inequalities, and Sustainability

The global agri-food system is far from contributing to SDG 2 – eliminating hunger while promoting health and sustainability. A critical paradox persists, demanding urgent attention from the G20. On the one hand, 28.9% of the global population faced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023. On the other hand, approximately 40% of adults and 20% of children worldwide are overweight or obese, with obesity-related conditions causing increasing preventable deaths and diseases. Under Green Revolution techniques, agricultural production has historically expanded since the 1960s. However, their continued dominance poses threats to global food and nutrition security. The global agri-food system faces a “threefold monotony” that must be addressed. First, agricultural production is excessively concentrated, with 75% of global caloric intake relying on just six crops, often cultivated in regions increasingly vulnerable to extreme climate events. Second, the rise of antimicrobial resistance – one of the WHO’s most urgent concerns – exposes the risks of homogeneous livestock populations maintained by large-scale factory farming. Third, excessive meat consumption and the growing contribution of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide are key drivers of the global obesity pandemic, indicating that current food systems fail to improve human health. These challenges contribute to the “hidden costs” of the global agri-food system (Appendix II), which total nearly $12 trillion annually. Transforming the system requires addressing interconnected crises in food and nutrition security, climate change, and biodiversity loss. This policy brief examines these challenges from a Global South–North perspective, providing updated data and analysing pathways, policies, and behavioural changes necessary for systemic transformation that balances immediate food security needs with long-term sustainability goals. Drawing on collaborative research conducted by institutions across the Americas, Africa, and Europe, this proposal highlights the pivotal role of the G20 in advancing the SDGs. The solutions presented seek to improve global governance mechanisms and initiatives, while promoting a new generation of public policies, regulatory frameworks, and financial incentives at the national level.

22 Oct 2025

Task Force

Keywords

agri-food systemclimate changeeconomic costs

Author/s

Dr Ricardo Abramovay
Senior Professor and Research Fellow,
Institute for Advanced Studies and Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo; Josué de Castro Chair on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems, University of São Paulo
(Brazil)
Dr Nadine Marques Nunes-Galbes
Assistant Researcher,
Josué de Castro Chair on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems, University of São Paulo
(Brazil)
Dr Fernanda Helena Marrocos-Leite
Research Fellow,
Josué de Castro Chair on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems; Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo
(Brazil)
Roberta Moraes Curan
Intelligence Coordinator,
Comida do Amanhã Institute; PhD researcher at Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo
(Brazil)
Juliana Tângari
Director,
Comida do Amanhã Institute
(Brazil)
Dr Patricia Bustamante
Researcher,
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa
(Brazil)
Dr Claire Cerdan
Director,
Environment and Societies Department, Cirad
(France)
Dr Arilson Favareto
Full Professor,
Josué de Castro Chair on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems, University of São Paulo; Licensed Professor, Federal University of ABC. Researcher, Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning
(Brazil)