Food systems resilience – new paper explores potential of an emerging approach for food security in protracted crises

In the run up to the Food Systems Summit Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP), CARE, Cordaid and ZOA jointly present a new paper that explores the potential of food systems resilience as an emerging approach to address food insecurity in protracted crises. The paper follows and builds on the Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue on Food Systems Resilience in Protracted Crises, and the earlier learning exchange on food systems resilience from a local programming perspective.

Over the past two years resilience and food systems emerged as prominent concepts at the forefront of policy and practice debates in the international development sector. The Food Systems Summit process confirmed this by focusing one of its five Action Tracks on the resilience of food systems to vulnerabilities shocks and stresses. In light of the Covid-19 crisis this is an important recognition that the fragility of today’s food systems is a key concern for global efforts to reach SDG2.

Via this new paper WUR, NFP, CARE, Cordaid and ZOA now explore the potential of food systems resilience as an approach. Recognizing that rising hunger levels of the past years can be mainly attributed to conflict and crisis, the paper helps policymakers and practitioners understand what food systems resilience is and what promise it holds to improve food security for people affected by protracted crises.

With increasing attention to food systems as a new framework for development approaches the paper originated from a desire to ensure that this new language would also lead to better practices. It makes both policy and practical recommendations on how to operationalize a food systems resilience approach in protracted crises and what enabling actions are needed from policy, practice, and academia to support this.

Building on case studies, interviews and insights from the learning agenda of food systems resilience programme FNS-REPRO it explores the added value a food systems approach through three perspectives: 1) ongoing transformation and innovation in the aid sector; 2) how it adds value as a concept; and, 3) emerging evidence and lessons from current food systems resilience programming.