At a time when there is enough food for everyone on the planet, food security remains elusive for far too many people. More than 800 million people worldwide — almost three times the size of the US population — do not have enough food to eat, and decades-long progress to feed more people is now backsliding as the climate crisis, conflict, and COVID-19 converge to push people into poverty — including those who produce, process, and make food available to communities around the world.
So how do we fix our food systems to ensure food security for all? It starts with the recognition that the way we grow, process, and sell a lot of our food has become exclusive, unhealthy, unequal, and unsustainable in the face of the climate crisis. We must support local communities to grow nutritious foods, make sure food is available to everyone, and build a world where everyone can afford it.
Oxfam’s mission is to fight inequality to end poverty and injustice. That’s why we work with women small-scale farmers, local food entrepreneurs, and Indigenous Peoples to strengthen our local food systems and to steward our precious natural resources that agriculture relies upon. We advocate for stronger governmental policies that protect the land and rights of smallholder farmers, small business owners and workers, and women who are often responsible for food in the home. And we tackle the tremendous power and influence held by large food and beverage companies that play an enormous role in the health and equity of our food systems — with massive implications for food security.