The international trade of food and agricultural products has experienced remarkable growth in recent decades, significantly impacting global food security and nutrition. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) 2024 report, this trade enhances food and nutrient diversity, availability, and affordability worldwide. However, it also raises concerns about unintended health consequences, necessitating policies that align trade with nutrition and public health goals.
The report, titled Trade and Nutrition: Policy Coherence for Healthy Diets, highlights that while trade doubles the diversity of foods available in many countries, it can also accelerate the consumption of ultra-processed foods high in fats, sugars, and salt. This shift highlights the complexity of balancing trade benefits with dietary quality. As incomes rise, the demand for such ultra-processed foods increases disproportionately, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The report suggests that strengthening policy coherence between trade and nutrition sectors is essential to mitigate these adverse effects.
Trade’s positive contributions to food security are substantial. It promotes dietary diversity by ensuring the availability of various nutrients that domestic production alone often cannot meet. For instance, trade facilitates the global distribution of critical nutrients like vitamin C, calcium, and zinc, addressing gaps in national food production. On average, countries open to trade enjoy lower food prices, benefiting consumers across income levels. Data from the report reveals that between 1961 and 2021, global dietary energy availability per person increased by 35%, with trade playing a crucial role in this expansion.
However, this growth in food availability and diversity has been accompanied by rising rates of obesity. While undernourishment has declined from 12.7% in 2000 to 9.2% in 2022, obesity among adults has surged from 8.7% to 15.8% during the same period. This dichotomy illustrates the double-edged nature of food trade, where increased access to affordable food can also drive unhealthy dietary patterns.
Since 2000, trade has grown across all food categories, with significant shifts in consumption patterns. The share of staples like cereals has decreased, while the demand for fats, oils, pulses, seeds, nuts, and animal-source foods has risen. Ultra-processed foods, accounting for 7% of globally traded calories in 2021, reflect a broader trend driven by urbanization and supermarket proliferation, particularly in developing nations. This transformation is reshaping diets at an unprecedented pace in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income ones.
Governance in trade is crucial to addressing these food safety challenges. SOCO 2024 notes that modern trade agreements, which now extend beyond tariff reductions to include harmonized standards on food additives, pesticide residues, and labeling, have mixed implications. While they enhance food safety and accessibility, they may also increase imports of ultra-processed foods, which respond more sensitively to income changes.
The report emphasizes integrating nutrition goals into trade policies to promote healthier diets. It cites case studies demonstrating both successful integrations and conflicts with multilateral trade rules.
Ultimately, achieving policy coherence between trade and nutrition is vital to ensuring that global food trade not only supports economic development but also fosters public health and well-being.
