Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in Developing Countries

Feeding a growing world population while protecting the planet is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. For developing countries, this challenge is even more acute – they face food insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation all at once. Building a sustainable food system is not just about producing more food; it means rethinking how food is grown, traded, and distributed in ways that are economically viable, socially equitable, and environmentally sound. Getting this right requires strong food policies, smart agricultural practices, and alignment with international trade frameworks.

What is a sustainable food system? 🔗

A food system encompasses every step involved in getting food from the farm to the table – production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management. According to the OECD, food systems face a “triple challenge”: delivering food security and nutrition for a growing population, supporting the livelihoods of millions working along the agri-food supply chain, and doing so in an environmentally sustainable way. The FAO defines sustainable food and agriculture as a system that meets the needs of present and future generations while ensuring profitability, environmental health, and social and economic equity – contributing to all four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability.

For developing countries, the stakes are particularly high. Hundreds of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries depend directly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Any disruption – whether from climate shocks, market failures, or policy gaps – can quickly tip communities into hunger and poverty.

The scale of food insecurity in developing countries 🔗

The hunger crisis in developing nations remains deeply alarming. The FAO has reported that 673 million people still faced hunger in 2024, with projections estimating that 512 million people will face chronic hunger by 2030 – underscoring the enormous challenge ahead in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). The UN FAO reported that 265 million people in least developed countries (LDCs) alone were food insecure between 2020 and 2022.

These are not simply supply-side problems. Research from IFPRI shows that many low- and middle-income countries will struggle to supply even the WHO’s minimum daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables per person by 2050. The problem spans production capacity, supply chain infrastructure, dietary diversity, and access to markets – all of which must be addressed through coordinated food policy.

Sustainable agriculture practices: the foundation of food security 🔗

The FAO notes that sustainable agricultural development is designed to enhance productivity, maintain or restore soil fertility, improve water and energy resource management, and strengthen rural livelihoods. These objectives are deeply interconnected – you cannot address one without the others.

Soil health and conservation agriculture 🔗

Healthy soil is the backbone of any food system. The World Wildlife Fund reports that over the past 150 years, half of all agricultural topsoil has been lost globally. When agricultural operations are sustainably managed, they can preserve critical habitats, protect watersheds, and improve both soil and water quality. Conservation agriculture – which involves minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation – is one of the most effective tools for reversing this trend. Studies in sustainable agriculture confirm that conservation practices help increase productivity while significantly reducing environmental impact.

Water management and efficient irrigation 🔗

The World Bank points out that food systems use around 70% of the world’s fresh water. In water-scarce regions – which include large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where food insecurity is most severe – this is unsustainable. Implementing efficient irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, and water conservation practices are essential steps toward reducing agriculture’s water footprint without compromising yields.

Agroecology and crop diversification 🔗

Agroecological approaches – including diversified crop rotations, agroforestry, and integrated pest management – mimic natural ecosystems to enhance soil fertility, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. The FAO emphasizes that a systems approach, examining the food system as a whole and promoting integrated strategies across all stages of the food value chain, is key to achieving multiple sustainability objectives simultaneously. Crop diversification also directly improves nutritional outcomes by increasing the variety of nutrients available in local diets.

Climate-smart agriculture 🔗

The World Bank describes climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a set of agricultural practices and technologies that simultaneously boost productivity, enhance resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In developing countries, where emissions from agriculture are increasing, CSA is critical. It includes adopting climate-resilient crop varieties, precision farming, improved water management, and agroforestry – all tailored to regional agro-ecological and socio-economic contexts.

Food policy for developing countries: aligning local needs with global standards 🔗

Sustainable food production alone is not enough. Developing countries need robust food policies that connect their agricultural systems to national economies and global markets. The OECD observes that historically, many food system policies were developed in silos – without accounting for their broader impacts on food security, nutrition, climate, or economic equity – which severely limited their effectiveness.

Effective food policy must align agricultural investment, trade regulations, nutrition goals, and environmental sustainability into a single coherent framework. For developing nations, this includes leveraging international agreements to create space for domestic investment while protecting smallholder farmers.

Investment in agriculture and smallholder support 🔗

Smallholder farmers are the backbone of food production in most developing countries, yet they are often the most marginalized. The USDA, citing the World Bank, notes that in agriculture-based economies – which include most of Sub-Saharan Africa – agricultural productivity growth is essential for reducing mass poverty and food insecurity. Policies that invest in agricultural infrastructure, research and development, and access to inputs for small-scale farmers directly improve food security outcomes.

Nutrition-sensitive food systems 🔗

The IFPRI’s 2024 Global Food Policy Report highlights that food systems in low- and middle-income countries are rapidly shifting toward higher consumption of ultra-processed foods – driven by changing lifestyles and the increased availability and marketing of cheaper, less nutritious options. Building nutrition-sensitive food systems means improving the availability of diverse, nutrient-rich foods through better value chains, crop biofortification, and post-harvest processing technologies – all without increasing costs to consumers.

The role of WTO agreements in shaping food policy 🔗

No discussion of food policy in developing countries is complete without addressing international trade rules. The WTO Agreement on Agriculture explicitly recognises food security as a core concern – embedded in both the commitments WTO members have made and in ongoing negotiations. Trade rules can improve food availability where it is scarce, enhance economic access to food by creating jobs and raising incomes, and provide a more stable, predictable system for food markets.

Public stockholding and food reserves 🔗

One of the most contested food policy tools in developing countries is the use of public food stockholding programs – where governments buy, stockpile, and distribute food to those in need. At the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, WTO ministers agreed that, on an interim basis, developing countries’ public stockholding programs would not face legal challenge even if they exceeded agreed limits for trade-distorting domestic support – a significant concession that gave developing nations more room to manage food security.

Special Products and safeguard mechanisms 🔗

Under WTO rules, developing countries are permitted to designate Special Products based on food security, livelihood security, and rural development – giving them flexibility to protect key crops from trade liberalization pressures. A Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) would further allow developing countries to impose additional protective measures during abnormal import surges or unusually cheap imports, shielding domestic farmers from destabilizing market fluctuations.

Reducing trade-distorting subsidies 🔗

At the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference, WTO members agreed to eliminate agricultural export subsidies – described as the most important reform of international agricultural trade rules since the WTO was established. By removing subsidies that allowed wealthy nations to artificially boost their exports, WTO members took a key step toward leveling the playing field for farmers in developing countries, directly supporting Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger.

Technology transfer and innovation 🔗

Recent WTO Agriculture Committee discussions have emphasized the need for technology transfer to developing economies on fair and affordable terms – recognizing that the agricultural sector in these countries consists largely of small, fragmented landholders who need appropriate technologies to improve productivity sustainably.

Building sustainable food systems: key policy priorities 🔗

For developing countries aiming to build truly sustainable food systems, several interconnected priorities stand out:

Integrated national food policies: Governments must move away from siloed approaches. The OECD stresses that policymakers need to consider interactions, trade-offs, and potential synergies across sectors – including nutrition, climate, trade, and livelihoods – when designing food system policies.

Strengthening local food value chains: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs notes that building resilience of local food systems is critical to averting large-scale future food shortages. This includes investments in transportation, storage infrastructure, and market access for smallholder farmers.

Leveraging traditional knowledge alongside modern science: The UN DESA also highlights that elements of traditional farmer knowledge, enriched by the latest scientific advances, can support productive food systems through sound soil, water, nutrient, and pest management.

Climate adaptation and resilience: The World Bank notes that food systems are the leading source of methane emissions and biodiversity loss, using around 70% of fresh water globally. Developing countries must integrate climate resilience into every layer of their food systems – from seed selection to national agricultural investment plans.

International cooperation and trade alignment: The IISD emphasizes that addressing transboundary food system challenges requires coherent policy approaches across jurisdictions, with WTO discussions providing a critical avenue for multilateral cooperation on sustainability in agriculture.

The link between sustainable food systems and poverty reduction 🔗

There is a direct and well-documented link between sustainable food production and poverty reduction. The World Wildlife Fund notes that farming is the only viable livelihood for three-quarters of the global population living below the poverty line. When food policies are designed to support smallholder farmers, protect soil and water, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure fair market access, they simultaneously lift rural incomes, reduce hunger, and build national economic resilience. The FAO’s mission explicitly ties sustainable agricultural investment to reducing inequalities and creating decent jobs – recognizing that sustainable food systems are not just environmental goals but economic and social ones too.

What do you think? Can developing countries build fully sustainable food systems without reforming the WTO’s agricultural trade rules to be more equitable for smaller economies? And given the growing shift toward ultra-processed foods in low- and middle-income countries, how should national food policies balance improving access to food with improving the quality of that food?

References

1. https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/food-systems.html
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13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreement_on_Agriculture
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17. https://www.fao.org/home/en