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Although we have successfully reached the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger at the global level, an estimated 795 million people continue to suffer from hunger while two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Making our food systems more nutritious, resilient, and inclusive can significantly improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty around the world.

In a report to the G20 Development Working Group released in September of last year, FAO and the OECD (with inputs from the Asian Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IFPRI, and WTO) discussed the vital role that food security plays in the G20’s overall growth agenda. Food insecurity and malnutrition come with a high economic cost, reducing countries’ human capital and decreasing productivity and opportunities for growth.

The June edition of the FAO Monthly News Report on Grains was released yesterday, with coverage of the biggest weekly rally in wheat and corn prices in three years, the signing of a free trade agreement between China and Australia, and more .

This issue's linked reports include Climate Change and Food Systems: Global assessments and implications for food security and trade and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Possible impact on agricultural production during the second half of 2015 .

In 2013, the G20 Leaders’ Declaration included a framework on food and nutrition security (FSN Framework). This Framework was designed to provide the basis for a long-term, integrated, and sustainable food systems approach to food security and nutrition, recognizing that action is needed both within and beyond the agricultural sector.

The Framework set out three priority objectives to integrate food security and nutrition efforts at the global level and within lower income countries. These objectives also include links to the G20’s focus on economic growth and job creation.

By: Kelly Jones and Alan de Brauw, IFPRI